Early Returns Show Voters Winning With Larger Turnout At Precincts

DETROIT (WWJ) - "I don't want anyone else speaking for me," said Donald Robertson of Southfield about voting today.

Robertson was among the throngs of voters who packed the precincts to cast their vote in one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent history.

The turnout of voters in Michigan, a key state in the path to victory for either candidate, could be a major factor determining the election.

Returns from absentee voting are up 18 percent this year, or 186,000, over the general election in 2012, according to Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.

The state of Michigan currently does not allow early voting -- not to be confused with casting an absentee ballot, Johnson says she'd like to see that change.

"My plan would be that we have secure absentee voting ," said Johnson, "so that if someone -- is inconvenient or they would like to vote absentee they would have the same rules as those that would come to the precinct - which is to show your ID and if you don't have ID then you would sign an affidavit of identity - which we check now at the state."

Johnson says there are currently two bills in the hopper which would allow such a system.

It's estimated that 1.1 million absentee votes were cast going into Election Day.