The nonpartisan Michigan Election Protection Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan are celebrating a successful execution of Tuesday's midterm election in the state.
Despite minor tabulator malfunctions, periods of long lines, and a bomb threat at a polling site inside Carlson High School in Gibraltar, organizers said challenges were quickly resolved.
Lynna Kaucheck, director of communications for the social justice organization Michigan Voices, highlighted how election workers adapted to the circumstances at the high school.
"There was almost no interruption in voting. They had generators. They moved everything to the parking lot and people kept voting. And then once the scene was cleared, they moved voting back inside. It was truly incredible," Kaucheck said.
The coalition credited the operational success to the training and deployment of hundreds of nonpartisan election challengers, poll workers, and volunteers who helped protect the process across the state.
Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp noted that his city utilized more than 500 poll workers, 76 of whom he said were brand-new election inspectors.
"Once again, with the help of the staff, the community all of our election partners, our election ran as it was intended, securely, transparently, smoothly, and with accurate results," Hondorp said.
Though Election Day has passed, the coalition said its work is not finished.
Jessica Ayoub, deputy political director at the ACLU of Michigan, said organizers were phone banking to help voters fix curable ballot issues, such as missing signatures, to ensure every eligible vote was counted.
"To date, over 80% of the voters we've talked to have plans to cure their ballot," Ayoub said.
The group was shifting its focus to the post-election process, working to ensure that county boards of canvassers across all 83 counties officially certify the election results. Ayoub emphasized that this step is mandatory under state law.
"The role of boards of county canvassers is not discretionary. Our state constitution and Michigan election laws state that elections must be certified based only on the official record of votes cast," Ayoub said.
Once certification is complete, the coalition plans to turn its attention toward preparing for the next presidential cycle.
"Together, we sent our message loud and clear," Ayoub concluded. "Elections belong to the people, and we look forward to building on the success of this year's election protection efforts as we turn our attention to the 2028 elections."
