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Michigan Presidential race outcome hinges on absentee ballot count in core cities like Grand Rapids

Absentee Voter Drop Box photo
Associated Press

The outcome of a tight Presidential election race in Michigan is now hinging on absentee ballots being counted in urban cores that traditionally skew for democrats.

In Kent County, roughly 360,000 residents cast ballots for a voter turnout over 72%.

“So, we have received from all of our jurisdictions full reporting which includes the Election Day results and it includes the absentee ballot results with the exception of the City of Grand Rapids absentee ballots. We still are waiting on those.”

That’s Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons. She says Grand Rapids had an influx of nearly 60,000 absentee ballots and those will take time to count.

“Every vote that is being counted right now was cast legally. Every single one of those absentee ballots was delivered in the hands of our local clerks by 8 o’clock pm on election night. And is therefore, has the right to be counted. People want their voices to be heard.”

Of Grand Rapids more than 148,000 registered voters, nearly 95,000 cast their ballots for a 63.9% voter turnout.

I’m Patrick Center.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.