In Michigan, 70 percent expected to go to the polls

10/28/2008

LANSING, Mich. Expect the lines to be long on Election Day.

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land said Tuesday that she expects more than 5 million Michigan residents will vote Nov. 4, or about 70 percent of registered voters.

That s even higher than in 2004, when more than 4.8 million people went to the polls, or just under 68 percent of the 7.2 million registered.

Michigan now has nearly 7.5 million registered voters, 98 percent of its voting-age population.

Land is basing her estimate on past presidential election year turnout, absentee voter activity, information from local officials, the high degree of interest in the presidential race, the number of races on the ballot and the high level of voter involvement in campaigns.