Imam Mustapha Elturk is the president of the Islamic Organization of North America in Warren, Michigan.

He’s also the co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan. He said he’s content with the election results.

“I was content with the results, not because I like the Republicans or I like the Democrats, but because it’s God’s will, literally,” he said. “I try to let our community understand that no matter who the people vote for, it is in God’s wisdom, we have to accept and be content with the results, even if they did not turn out to our favor.”

Elturk says he encouraged people to get out the vote, regardless of which candidate people chose. But he said the ultimate results are up to God.

“I would remind them that no matter who wins the race, it is God Almighty who chose the outcome,” he said.

He also expressed the need for people to come together in unity, despite political differences.

“I know our community is split into Democrats, Republicans, and many voted for third party… political differences is OK, is healthy, but that should not, you know, all these differences should not lead us to division,” he said.

Elturk said people have to work with local and national leaders, holding them accountable for their positions in power.

He also encourages people to run for office and volunteer locally.

“[An] election is one way of civic engagement, but to unite and work together for the good, greater good of our larger community by volunteering and that what’s going to bring the community together, not only politically, but also engaged, engaged socially, doing something together for the community,” he said.

President-elect Donald Trump won Michigan this week in what was expected to be a very close presidential election. In this episode of MichMash, Zach Gorchow of Gongwer News Service speaks with Senior Capitol Correspondent Tim Skubick about how the former President defied the experts and secured a victory in Michigan on election night.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• Why Donald Trump over-performed in Michigan
• The sea change in the Michigan House of Representatives
• What’s to come in Michigan politics in 2026

Trump made a surprising comeback, handily winning 74 ​counties in Michigan despite losing the state in 2020. Skubick says this shift was largely attributed to high turnout among male voters, especially in regions outside of the typical “Trump country.”

“What ​Mr. ​Trump ​was ​able ​to ​do ​is ​he ​defied ​the ​experts ​who ​didn’t ​think ​he ​could ​get ​enough ​of ​those ​couch ​potatoes, ​men ​mostly, ​off ​of ​the ​couch ​and ​into ​the ​polls. ​And ​that’s ​exactly ​what ​he ​did,” he said. “​He ​overperformed ​by ​500,000 ​votes ​compared ​to ​what ​he ​did ​in ​2016. ​I ​mean, ​game ​over.”

Skubick also noted that Vice President Kamala Harris’ late entry into the race and her focus on critiquing Trump rather than promoting her own platform may have hurt her chances significantly.

“Ms. ​Harris, ​I ​think, ​made ​a ​huge ​mistake,” he said. ​”You ​have ​to ​give ​people ​a ​reason ​to ​vote ​for ​you ​rather ​than ​a ​reason ​not ​to ​vote ​for ​the ​other ​guy ​or ​person. ​How ​they ​missed ​that ​is ​incredible.”

More from WDET:

• MichMash: Jemele Hill on the changing dynamics of the Black vote in Michigan
• Created Equal: Examining the future of conservative politics under Trump
• The Metro: Retired UAW member shares why he proudly supported Donald Trump

Voters in Macomb County have several countywide leadership positions on the ballot, from county sheriff and prosecutor to public works and county commissioners.

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results for the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results. Last updated at 12:38 p.m. Nov. 6.

Jump to key races:

• Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney
• Macomb County Sheriff
• Macomb County Clerk and Register of Deeds
• Macomb County Public Works Commissioner
• Macomb County Commissioner results
• Local ballot proposals

Macomb County Clerk and Register of Deeds

Precincts reporting: 308 of 308 (100%)

No Data Found

The WDET News team is keeping track of all the key races Michigan residents are following in the 2024 general election, from the presidential and Congressional races to down-ballot races and ballot proposals in metro Detroit and around the state.

Tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for the most up-to-date election results and analysis, or visit wdet.org/electionresults for live updates on the following races:

• State Representatives in Wayne County
• State Representatives in Oakland County
• State Representatives in Macomb County
• Michigan Supreme Court
• Wayne County election results
• Oakland County election results
• Macomb County election results
• State Board of Education
• Wayne State University Board of Governors
• Michigan State University Board of Trustees
• University of Michigan Board of Regents

Voters in Oakland County have several countywide leadership positions on the ballot, as well as a millage proposal from Oakland County Parks.

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results for the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results. Last updated: Nov. 6 at 12:18 p.m.

Jump to key races:

• Oakland County Executive
• Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney
• Oakland County Sheriff
• Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds
• Oakland County Commission
• Oakland County Parks and Recreation Millage

County races

Oakland County Sheriff

Precincts reporting: 498 of 498 (100%)

No Data Found

Voters in Wayne County have several countywide leadership positions on the ballot, along with two education-related millage proposals. 

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results for the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results. Last updated at 2:03 p.m. Nov. 6.

• County elections
• Local school district elections
• Local ballot proposals
• Judicial races

County races

Wayne County Clerk

Precincts reporting: 912 of 912 (100%)

No Data Found

More than three million people have already voted in Michigan’s general election, but officials say they’re still expecting a busy day on Election Day as voters head to the polls.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Shira Roza is the election protection director at Promote the Vote. She says her group is ready to help.

“Our nonpartisan election protection boiler room has in the past week alone responded to over 100 voting-related issues, from long lines at early voting sites to a lack of accessibility for voters with disabilities to voter intimidation,” said Roza.

To report issues or get assistance from Promote the Vote, you can call their hotline 866-OUR-VOTE. If you feel physically threatened at a polling place, call 911. 

Polls close at 8 p.m. in Michigan — excluding the Upper Peninsula counties of Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron and Menominee, which are in the Central Time Zone and will close their polling locations at 9 p.m. ET. Follow along with WDET on-air and online at wdet.org/electionresults for local, state and federal election results updated in real-time by the WDET News team.

—Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET

Other headlines for Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024:

• Polls across Metro Detroit are open until 8 p.m. If you’re in line by 8, you will be allowed to vote no matter how long it takes.
• Poll workers are keeping an eye out for possible disturbances, so don’t wear campaign-related clothing to the polls, and make sure to listen to the instructions that poll workers are giving you.
• At the top of today’s ballot, Republican former President Donald Trump faces off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The candidates and their running mates have made several trips to Detroit in the past few weeks, making their cases for your votes. There are also several other presidential candidates on the ballot, from a wide array of political parties.
• In the race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers are battling for the seat left open when incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow decided not to run for reelection.
• Here in the city of Detroit, there are two Congressional races. The 13th Congressional District covers the eastern half of the city and parts of Downriver.  In that race, Democratic incumbent Shri Thanedar faces Republican challenger Martell Bivings.
• On the city’s far west side, Democratic incumbent Rashida Tlaib faces Republican challenger James Hooper for the 12th Congressional District.
• Among the many other races on the ballot are contests for the Michigan Supreme Court, the 36th District Court, the Detroit School Board, and the Wayne State Board of Governors. There are also two educational millages.
• If you have questions about the general election or what’s on your ballot, visit the WDET Voter Guide at wdet.org/voterguide. 
• And be sure to follow along with WDET on-air at 101.9 FM and online at wdet.org/electionresults for local, state and federal election results updated in real-time.
• In non-election news, ESPN is reporting that the Detroit Lions have made a trade for Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith to bolster its defense.  The team plays the Houston Texans Sunday night. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Michigan voters will decide who will serve on the next Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday, Nov. 5. There are four candidates running to fill two open seats on the bench — one partial four-year term and one full eight-year term.

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results for the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results. Last updated: Nov. 6 at 11:38 a.m.

Michigan voters will decide who will serve on the next State Board of Education on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Eight candidates are vying for two open seats on the board. The winners will each serve an eight-year term.

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results for the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results. Last updated: Nov. 6 at 11:22 a.m.

Voters will decide who will serve on the next Wayne State University Board of Governors on Tuesday, Nov. 5. There are nine people running for two seats that expire in January.

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results from each state representative race in the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results.

Voters will decide who will serve on the next Board of Trustees at Michigan State University on Tuesday, Nov. 5. There are eight people vying for two spots that expire in January. 

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results from each state representative race in the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

Voters will decide who will serve on the next University of Michigan Board of Regents on Tuesday, Nov. 5. There are six candidates running for two spots that expire in January 2025. 

WDET is committed to bringing you accurate, up-to-date election results from each state representative race in the metro Detroit area. Results from uncontested races are not included.

Be sure to bookmark this page or tune in to WDET 101.9 FM for live updates on election results.

With so many closely contested races in Michigan, authorities are on the lookout for efforts to meddle with elections or harass election workers.

A new state law creates new penalties for election interference. That includes threats to election workers, disrupting polling places and attempting to interfere with absentee vote counting boards, which happened four years ago in Detroit.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that state and local law enforcement agencies are ready.

“We’ve done tabletop exercises for a while and I feel confident that we are prepared, and I remain hopeful that all of this preparation is not necessary, but should it be, we will be on top of it,” she told the Michigan Public Radio Network. “We, of course, are living in unique times and that’s why we have done a lot of work with the Secretary of State’s office and the Attorney General’s office as well as local clerks’ offices to make sure that there are severe penalties for people that mess around, that there’s accountability for those who want to undermine the election.”

The U.S. Department of Justice also announced that it will have election monitors in 27 states, including Michigan. The cities include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, Ann Arbor, Warren and Hamtramck where officials will be on the lookout for voting rights violations. The DOJ has done this sort of monitoring in previous election years.

A pro-Trump Michigan attorney faces a criminal trial starting next month for allegedly tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential. Another new law in this election cycle also clarifies that local canvassing boards are required to certify election results based on the numbers provided by local clerks.

Michigan is among 47 states in the U.S. that have early in-person voting this presidential election.

More than 500,000 people have voted early and in-person since it began statewide on Saturday, and more than two million votes have been cast across the state when including absentee ballots.

However, this increase in voting access is seemingly connected to a rise in mistrust of election integrity and claims of fraud.

To discuss this phenomenon, Created Equal host Stephen Henderson was joined on Wednesday by David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, and political science professor Dale Thomson.

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Becker explained that although we do not have much data on the effect of early voting access on voter turnout, early voting improves election integrity by mitigating the effects of family emergencies, technical difficulties, dangerous weather, and disinformation. He also described how some voters perceive the inclusion of more people in democracy to be inherently fraudulent and insecure, especially as they are exposed to a lot of negative rhetoric about election security. 

Thomson explained that although there is no evidence of widespread election fraud in recent years, the Trump campaign is using claims of election fraud to cast doubt on election results. He also discussed how immigrants are often targeted with claims of election fraud, even though there’s very little quantitative evidence that non-citizens are committing fraud on a wide-scale. 

“A study conducted by the [Brennan] Center for Justice analyzing almost 24 million votes across 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 general election concluded there were approximately 30 instances of non-citizens voting. So there’s data out there,” Thomson said. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Guests:

• David Becker is the executive director for the Center for Election Innovation & Research. He’s also the author of “The Big Truth” and host of the podcast The Count.
• Dale Thomson is a professor of political science at University of Michigan – Dearborn. He is also the director of the Ottawa Internship Program.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued guidance for election workers and law enforcement on everything from new voting laws to dealing with disturbances at polling places.

The 14-page document outlines laws about ballot drop box security, carrying firearms at and near polling places, electioneering near voting locations, the roles of election challengers and dealing with disruptive behavior.

“This guidance is critical to keep us all on the same page, preserve the rights of Michiganders in every community, and to maintain a safe environment at every voting location across the state,” Nessel said Thursday in a Zoom press conference.

One of the points addresses the use of police body cameras at polling places. The advice says officers need to ensure if they are called to a polling place, body cameras cannot violate the right of voters to privately fill out their ballots.

Nessel said law enforcement has a lot of discretion to address threats and disruptions but also a legal obligation to help ensure an orderly election.

“And it’s up to law enforcement from my office to our State Police to sheriff’s departments and local agencies in every community to preserve public safety and help ensure a secure legal voting environment,” she said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed a last-ditch federal lawsuit Thursday in an effort to get his name off Michigan’s presidential ballot. That’s as local clerks are already finalizing ballots for printing.

Kennedy exhausted his appeals in Michigan courts before turning now to federal courts — even though the state’s legal deadline to get ballots to printers is passed. Angela Benander, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, told the Michigan Public Radio Network the filing will not change current plans.

“Clerks are currently in the process of printing ballots to ensure absentee ballots will be delivered to voters by the federal deadlines,” said Benander. She said those deadlines ensure absentee ballots are in the mail to overseas and military voters in time for them to be returned and counted.

The Michigan Supreme Court on Monday held Kennedy’s name would remain on the ballot, which settled the matter in state courts.

Kennedy has had mixed results in having his name stricken from ballots in states where he has already qualified. He suspended his campaign last month and endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

Michigan Secretary of State said Kennedy waited until it was too late to withdraw as the nominee of the Natural Law Party of Michigan. Kennedy sought and accepted the minor party nomination as a way to get on the Michigan ballot. Withdrawing now would leave the party without a presidential candidate.

But in the lawsuit filed Monday with the U.S. District Court for Michigan’s eastern district, Kennedy argued the state is violating his constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of association rights.

“Keeping Mr. Kennedy off the ballot will also cause no harm to the public,” said Kennedy’s filing. “Conversely, leaving Mr. Kennedy’s name will serve only to mislead voters, upend election and ballot integrity…”

In the filing, Kennedy also complained that he is being held to a different standard than President Joe Biden, who exited the presidential race on July 21 and cleared the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to be nominated.

But there is a critical distinction. Biden was in the race and the presumptive nominee prior to stepping aside. But he was never formally nominated and, thus, never accepted the nomination.

Harris was waiting in the wings when Biden withdrew his name from consideration following a disastrous debate performance against Trump. She was formally nominated by the Democratic National Convention on August 6th, which placed her on Michigan’s ballot.

The state will now have an opportunity to respond to Kennedy’s lawsuit and motion to remove his name. But the court does not have to accept the case or take any other action.

A Michigan Court of Claims judge acted quickly Tuesday to deny Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request to be removed from the state’s presidential ballot. That’s after Kennedy suspended his campaign last week to back Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Kennedy wants a court to reverse the determination of election officials in the Secretary of State’s office that he missed the deadline for removing his name as the nominee of the Natural Law Party of Michigan. Kennedy is trying to end his candidacy in Michigan and other swing states where he could siphon support from former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

“Plaintiff, a public figure, does not want to represent to the citizens of Michigan that he is vying for their votes for the position of President of the United States,” said Kennedy’s legal filing. “Keeping his name on the ballot against his wishes compels this speech and subjects him to derision, anger, reputational harm, and loss of good will by those who would vote for him based on this speech and later find out their vote was wasted and in vain.”

Kennedy argued the deadline cited by the state elections bureau applies only to down-ballot races and not to candidates for president.

Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates dispatched the case very quickly, noting the urgency of resolving election-related questions this late in the cycle. Yates wrote the law is “clear and conclusive” that election officials in the Secretary of State’s office are not empowered to go along with Kennedy’s “self-serving act”

“Elections are not just games,” he wrote, “and the Secretary of State is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the ruling.

“Michigan election law in this instance is unambiguous and the Department of State made the correct decision,” she said in a written statement. “…The law does not apply less because a candidate changes their plans. I appreciate the Court making a quick and wise ruling on this matter.”

Kennedy’s Michigan attorneys did not reply to a request for comment or plans to appeal.

If history is any guide, it is highly unlikely that Kennedy would win Michigan’s 15 electoral votes. The last third-party candidate to win Michigan was former President Teddy Roosevelt, who left the Republican Party to run as the candidate of the Progressive “Bull Moose” Party in 1912. That helped Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson unseat Republican incumbent President William Howard Taft.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the Michigan presidential ballot, despite his announcement Friday that he is suspending his campaign and backing former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign reached out to the Michigan Bureau of Elections late this afternoon in an attempt to withdraw his name,” said bureau spokesperson Cheri Hardmon, adding that the campaign was informed the deadline to remove his name from the ballot had passed.

Kennedy is on the state ballot as the nominee of the Natural Law Party of Michigan. That party’s state nominating convention was held back in April.

Hardmon said the party could have held a new nominating convention any time until the state’s August presidential primary.

“The Natural Law Party held their convention to select electors for Robert Kennedy Jr.,” she said. “They cannot meet at this point to select new electors since it’s past the primary.”

Kennedy’s quixotic campaign sought the Natural Law Party of Michigan nomination because it was easier and less expensive than gathering thousands of signatures required to get on the state ballot as an unaffiliated independent candidate.

Now, Kennedy said, he wants to be removed from the ballot in states where his candidacy could hurt Trump’s chances. Michigan is considered a swing state, and recent polls show Trump in a close race with Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Natural Law Party seeks to apply the principles of transcendental meditation to government. Kennedy has no prior affiliation with the party or the transcendental meditation movement. The advantage of a big name for a minor party is the likelihood of winning enough votes to automatically qualify for ballot access in future elections.

The Natural Law Party of Michigan and the Kennedy campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment.