March 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, All Voting is Local released “The Effects of Early In-Person Voting in Michigan vs. Pennsylvania,” a data analysis showing how Michigan’s addition of an in-person early voting option made a major difference in early voter turnout compared to Pennsylvania, a demographically similar state where no such option exists.
The report reveals that, thanks to the new early voting laws, more than 58 percent of Michigan voters were able to cast their ballot ahead of Election Day in the 2024 general election. In contrast, a mere 27 percent of voters cast their votes before Election Day in Pennsylvania, showing the need for more early voting alternatives in the Keystone State.
Early in-person voting is an extremely popular voting method across states. Michigan has shown that providing ways to vote early increases turnout and makes it so voters don’t have to wait in long lines on Election Day. In Pennsylvania, absentee voting remained a primary early voting option for the 2024 general election, resulting in longer wait times compared to Michigan, where in-person early voting was available.
“Pennsylvania voters want more options when it comes to early voting so that they can securely cast their ballots while avoiding long lines,” said All Voting is Local Pennsylvania State Director Deborah Hinchey. “Some Pennsylvania voters, particularly those from marginalized communities, had fewer opportunities to cast their ballots before Election Day with no option for in-person early voting. And some voters could not cast ballots at all due to there being no accessible voting methods available that worked for them. As we just saw in nearby Michigan, there are simple solutions to ensuring that we put the infrastructure in place so that more people can vote early. The state’s inability to do that is failing voters in the Commonwealth, especially those who have been historically disenfranchised.”
After passing Proposal 2 in 2022, the 2024 general election was the first time Michigan voters could vote early in person in a major election. Before the new law, the only early voting options in Michigan were vote-by-mail and in-person absentee. The state was successful in setting up early voting sites across Michigan in time to allow voters nine days to cast their ballots in person before Election Day.
“Following the passage of Proposal 2, Michigan implemented new early voting options, expanding access for voters across the state. Voters now have many paths to the ballot,” said All Voting is Local Michigan State Director Ashiya Brown. “The introduction of early voting increased accessibility, ensuring voters have more opportunities to cast their ballot conveniently. Michigan voters wanted easier access to the ballot, and our election officials made it happen.”
The full research can be found here.