About 4.5 million Michigan residents voted in Tuesday's elections. State officials say that's the state's highest turnout ever in a midterm.
Heading into the election, state and federal officials were preparing the public for a wait before unofficial results were ready.
But at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said a lack of disruptions — and the dedication of poll workers — made the process run smoothly.
“Thousands of Republican, Democrat, and independent election clerks and workers securely checked in counted ballots all through the day and night yesterday to provide Michigan voters with their unofficial election results far more quickly than we'd anticipated," she said.
Benson — who won reelection herself on Tuesday — said with voting over, the process of certifying results begins.
Bipartisan canvassing boards will start working to certify the election results.
State law requires county canvassers to finish that work by November 22, and the Board of State Canvassers has to finish by November 28.
Benson said any requests for a recount would need to be made after canvasses are complete and elections are certified.
