The number of absentee ballots cast ahead of Michigan's election is well above 2014 levels, and the number requested is almost keeping pace with how many were sent in the 2016 presidential race.
The figures released by the state Friday suggest there will be higher-than-normal turnout for the Nov. 6 midterm election.
So far, nearly 1.1 million absentee ballots have been sent, and roughly 588,000 have been returned 11 days before the election.
At the same time in 2014 -- when Michigan also had a governor and U.S. Senate race -- about 689,000 ballots had been sent and 354,000 had been returned. That's a two-thirds increase in absentee voting.
During the 2016 presidential election, more than 1.1 absentee ballots had been requested at this stage, and 686,000 had been cast.
