The 2024 general election is less than 24 hours away, and the WDET News team has been hard at work bringing Michigan residents the information they need about early voting, election security, and the many candidates running for president, Congress, state Legislature, county leadership positions and more.

Pre-election and Election Day coverage

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will join Stephen Henderson on Created Equal Monday to share her takeaways from Michigan’s early in-person voting period, which ended on Sunday. Then on Tuesday, Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and Detroit community activist Desiree Cooper joins the show to reflect on the current state of American democracy and how this historic election might affect its future.

On The Metro, BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett joins the show Monday with Imani Harris — communications lead for Detroit education nonprofit 482Forward — to discuss early voting engagement. Also on the show, Dance for Democracy Co-director Ellen Vial previews an upcoming dance party at Spot Lite Detroit on Tuesday to help encourage civic engagement among young people. The event will feature performances from Detroit artists Stacey Hotwaxx Hale, Haute to Death and more.

WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn will join the show on Election Day to talk about WDET’s election coverage, election integrity and what to expect on election night.

Tune in to 101.9 FM for additional election-related conversations and information throughout the day from the WDET News team.

Election night coverage

WDET will pre-empt our regular Tuesday evening programming from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Election night to carry NPR’s live special coverage, offering election results, analysis and insights from across the country. Vaughn will join All Things Considered host Russ McNamara in-studio to provide live updates on local races and other news you need to know throughout the night.

Be sure to follow along with us at wdet.org/electionresults for real-time updates on key metro Detroit, state and national races.

Still undecided?

For those still unsure about what’s on your ballot or who to support in this election, there is still time to familiarize yourself with the candidates running in your district. Visit wdet.org/voterguide to get more information about the candidates running for president, Congress, state House of Representatives, university boards and more in Michigan. You can also find helpful links to check your voter registration status, look up your polling place, view a preview of your ballot and more.

For real-time updates on winners and votes tallied in the national, state and local races in Michigan, visit wdet.org/electionresults.

Absentee ballots will go in the mail this week to Michigan voters who have requested them. The Thursday mail drop kicks off the early voting season in Michigan headed toward the November elections.

Easier access to absentee and drop off ballots as well as earlier in-person voting are among the voting options available under an amendment to the Michigan Constitution approved by voters in 2022.

There is still time for people to request an absentee ballot, said Christopher Thomas, a former state elections director who’s worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He said people already on the absentee ballot list should see ballots in their mailboxes by early October.

“So if the ballots are available as required this Thursday, I would give it at least a week,” he said. “And, of course, you can track your AV ballot.”

The state’s elections website at Michigan.gov/vote allows people to follow their absentee ballot from the request to ensuring it was counted. There is also still time to request a ballot through the website.

Thomas said he expects more than 40% of voters to use a mail-in ballot or a ballot drop box or early in-person voting in this year’s election. Both Democrats and Republicans are encouraging their party’s voters to use any of those methods to cast their ballots before Election Day.