The League of Women Voters of Michigan is partnering with the Associated Press on an Election Day Voter Turnout Pilot Project – and we need your help!
If you plan to vote in person on Election Day for the Presidential Primary on Tuesday, February 27 (or if you are working at the polls), please sign up to volunteer for this project. It’s easy to do and will only take a few minutes. You’ll be helping the Associated Press provide faster and more accurate results on Election Night.
You can volunteer by emailing the AP with your name, municipality, and precinct number to MITurnout@ap.org. Reid Magney, the project coordinator, will confirm your participation and send detailed instructions shortly before the election. Here’s a sneak peek:
- When you vote on Election Day, pay attention to the number displayed on the tabulator when you insert your ballot (i.e., you were the 250th voter today).
- Also, remember exactly what time you voted.
- After you vote on Election Day, report that information to the AP’s Election Call Center at the toll-free number you will be provided. Tell them your name, the name of your municipality and precinct number, the time you voted, and your voter number (the turnout at that point).
- If you are working or observing at the polls on Election Day, you are welcome to call the AP a few times throughout the day and provide the number of voters so far at your precinct.
- That’s all!
The information you share will help the AP refine its voter turnout data models throughout the day before the polls close. That helps the AP know how far along they are in tabulation after polls close and helps with accurate and timely race calls.
You might ask why the AP can’t get this turnout information directly from Michigan election officials. Michigan’s electronic poll books are not connected to the Internet, and most election offices do not have any process to collect turnout information from precincts during the day. They’re focused on counting ballots after the polls close. That’s why the AP asked to partner with the League on this project.
The League of Women Voters and the Associated Press are independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, and fact-based organizations. LWVMI hopes you will consider participating in this research project to improve Election Night reporting. If so, please sign up with the AP by emailing MITurnout@ap.org as soon as possible so they are ready to go on February 27.