Michigan voters have approved a ballot proposal focused on making voting in elections more accessible.

DETROIT – As counting continues at TCF Center in Detroit Tuesday night, city clerk Janice Winfrey and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said they were pleased with the voter turnout in the city and state. Our poll workers decided to come out and work during this pandemic and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey. There were long lines at some locations around Metro Detroit, and the turnout was record setting. And I’m truly grateful for every single person who was part of team democracy, making it work,” Benson said. READ: Michigan Attorney General investigates robocalls spreading misinformation on Election DayYou can watch Hank Winchester’s full report in the video posted above.

DETROIT – Election officials are getting a head start inside Detroit’s TCF Center on Monday -- opening envelopes, matching ballots and voters and logging them into the state system, and setting the ballots aside to be counted on Tuesday’s Election Day. As of Monday, more than 2.6 million absentee votes have been returned statewide with at least another 700,000 expected to arrive by Tuesday. On Sunday, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said that it won’t be up to anyone except the state. “Candidates don’t get to choose who wins an election, the voters do. And myself and the 1,500 clerks and 83 county clerks all across the state will be vigilantly committed to counting every ballot vote,” Benson said.

With one day left until Election Day on Nov. 3, more people from both campaign teams are showing up in Michigan, aiming to gather as many votes as possible. President Trump stopped in Washington Township Sunday, holding a rally at Total Sports Park. READ: Both presidential campaigns prioritize Michigan ahead of Election DayREAD: Michigan Election 2020: How to find your voting precinctFormer President Barack Obama, Vice President Mike Pence, former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and even Gov. In the meantime, Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden are both planning to campaign leading up to Tuesday. On Monday, Trump is preparing for his final two stops in Traverse City and Grand Rapids -- Grand Rapids was the final stop on Trump’s campaign trail back in 2016.

DETROIT – Cars packed Belle Isle Saturday for the drive-in rally held by Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden with former President Barack Obama. READ: Presidential candidates make final push for Michigan last weekend before Election DaySome people who attended addressed certain issues. On Sunday, Trump will hold a rally at 11 a.m. in Washington Township at Total Sports Park. Then on Monday, the president will be in Traverse City before holding a 10:30 p.m. rally at the Grand Rapids based Gerald R. Ford International Airport. READ: US judge orders USPS to speed up election ballot delivery in DetroitWatch the full report in the video above.

All rights reserved)Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, is scheduled to visit Michigan on Sunday. Emhoff is set to attend a canvass launch at 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor, and then another at 2:30 p.m. in Madison Heights. On Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama visited Detroit and Flint. READ: Presidential candidates make final push for Michigan last weekend before Election DayPresident and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is also focusing campaign efforts toward Michigan voters in the final days leading up to the election. Then on Monday, the president will be in Traverse City before holding a rally at the Grand Rapids based Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

DETROIT – There are only a few days left until Election Day on November 3. City clerk Janice Winfrey spoke out Thursday, encouraging people to get out and vote in the upcoming presidential election. “We want every voter to show up and vote in this election,” Winfrey said. Voting lines could also be longer than usual on Election Day, as the state anticipates a record turnout of voters. President Donald Trump has called out Benson before, saying he is concerned about the election in Michigan and the integrity of the election process.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of State announced Wednesday it will be providing resources to educate Michiganders facing homelessness about their voting rights. The outreach includes an online toolkit curated to provide accurate information about homelessness and voting, a webinar hosted in partnership with the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and voter registration drives at shelters. "Our work to provide resources and information to voters in this community will help ensure they can vote with confidence that their ballot will count.”A new toolkit will dispel misconceptions and provide accurate voting information and guidance for homeless individuals. The department joined with the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness to promote voter education and registration. As part of this partnership, MDOS will join the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness and Communities First, Inc. to host a webinar aimed at educating homelessness advocacy organizations in how to assist their clients with voter registration, early voting and getting to the polls on Election Day.

The focus is on in-person voting and keeping Michigan voters safe from COVID-19 and possible harassment or intimidation while people wait in line to cast their ballot. “My understanding is that Michigan State Police are going to enforce the (open carry) ban anywhere that local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to do so,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The Local 4 Defenders asked if any credible threats of violence have been made, or are state and local officials seeing evidence of voter intimidation to keep voters from polls? “The role that voters have asked me to play as the chief election officer is to enforce the law in this way and ensure they are protected on Election Day,” Benson said. Will banning open carry invite open carry protests for law enforcement to deal with?

PONTIAC, Mich. – Oakland County officials are testing election security, and election workers are testing for every possible way to fill out a ballot to make sure nothing is out of place before Election Day. We have so many checks and balances in place in Michigan,” said Oakland County clerk Lisa Brown. Millions have already cast their ballots, and county clerks are working to be able to prepare their counts one day early. Election officials are also warning to get ballots in as soon as possible or even drop them off in person so the count can get underway on Nov. 3. My staff’s done an incredible job to find the most efficient process, and I think we’ll be OK,” Brown said.

This political season, the campaigns know the easiest way to reach you is through your phone, so you might be noticing more phone calls, emails and text messages. Some are even calling this year “the texting election.”The Trump campaign alone said it will send out more than a billion text messages by Election day. Now, texts from both political parties are flooding phones for voters who never signed up to receive them. However, that doesn’t guarantee you won’t continue to get text messages coming from different numbers. The Better Business Bureau says beware of texts soliciting campaign contributions because you can’t be certain the money is going to the candidate you want.

Thursday is the first day Michigan residents can begin voting for the November general election, and this might be a good year to cast your vote early. Clerks have started to mail out absentee ballots, and a record number of people are expected to vote this fall. We’re 40 days away from Election Day, and starting now, Michiganders have the option to enter a clerk’s office and vote early. Fill out the absentee ballot and either drop it in the mail or hand deliver it to your clerk’s office. If you have any questions or concerns about the voting process, reach out to Help Me Hank at 313-298-9348, helpmehank@wdiv.com or on social media.