Help Me Hank tracks down Election Day issues at Metro Detroit polling places

Long lines, small glitches reported in Metro Detroit

Local 4′s Help Me Hank spent Election Day tracking down issues Metro Detroiters faced while casting their ballots at polling places across the area.

A church that has always been a voting location in Westland wasn’t used this year, and that took some people who showed up to vote by surprise.

City officials said notifications were sent to voters, telling them their location had recently changed. But some of them said they had no idea.

READ: Michigan officials warn voters about spread of misinformation on Election Day

Demotus Alexander said he recently found out he has COVID-19. When he went to vote in Detroit on Tuesday, he was turned away.

Alexander was sent to another location where he was told curbside voting was an option. But when he arrived, that wasn’t the case, he said.

The Michigan Secretary of State’s office said so far, Election Day has been fairly smooth across the state.

There have been some glitches, and longer lines have been reported. But so far, there have been no major incidents reported.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 3.1 million absentee ballots were being counted. Michiganders will break a record Tuesday for voter turnout.

You can watch Hank Winchester’s full report in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.