Some polling stations in Detroit opened late because workers didn't show up

Several polling locations in Detroit failed to open on time Tuesday morning because election workers didn’t show up, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office.

The state dispatched about 35 workers to polling stations that were short-staffed.

Polls were supposed to open statewide at 7 a.m. At least one polling station at Northwest Baptist Church didn’t open until about 9 a.m.

All of the polling stations were open by 9 a.m.

The state had encouraged voters to cast absentee ballots because of COVID-19 concerns. As of Tuesday morning, the SOS Office issued 2.1 million absentee ballots. Of those, 1.5 million were returned, compared to 484,000 in the 2016 primary election.

In Detroit, more than 104,000 absentee ballots were issued to voters, and 64,400 were returned.

Any absentee ballot that arrives at clerks offices after Tuesday won’t be counted. If you have an absentee ballot, you can take it to a drop off box or your clerk’s office. Here’s a list of drop off locations.

Because of the increase in absentee voting, the state cautioned that official election results may not be determined for a day or two.

Problems at Detroit polling stations are nothing new. In the presidential election in 2016, more than a dozen precincts had broken ballot machines, and at least one polling station didn’t open on time. Some voters left polling stations without voting because of disorganized poll workers and two-hour lines.

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