Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the launch of a new tool to allow people to track voting data across the state on Wednesday.

While mail in voting information has been released publicly in the weeks leading up to an election since 2020, the Michigan Voting Information Dashboard was designed to make election information more transparent.

“This dashboard will allow anyone to see how many Michigan citizens are casting their voting ballots ahead of Election Day,” Benson said.

The tool was designed with the help of the University of Michigan and can be used on mobile devices and is ADA compliant.

The dashboard allows users to view the data by county and municipality. Trends can also be compared across different locations. As the dashboard continues to be built out, there will be an option to check trends across election cycles, along with getting election results and checking voter registration information.

“These early snapshots provide valuable information to voters, media, candidates and elected officials about how Michigan citizens are engaging in our democracy in that particular cycle,” Benson said.

The dashboard is updated daily using Michigan’s qualified voter file. Officials say this will reveal trends as the election is happening.

As of Oct. 15, more than 670,000 Michigan voters have submitted their ballots, according to Benson. That is nearly a third of the 2.1 million people who have requested a ballot across the state.

On Election Day, Benson said the 83 county clerks’ websites will remain the best resource for early information and unofficial election results. “Voters and the media should still rely on the county clerk websites for that critical information immediately after the polls close,” she said.

According to Benson, the dashboard can also be used for election security by “placing numbers in context of the laws and procedures that govern our elections.” Having the data easier to access and understand will help combat some of the misinformation that can happen during election season.

Election Day is the last day to cast a ballot. Polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

The Michigan Voting Information Dashboard can be found at michigan.gov/votingdashboard

(photo credit: Michigan Secretary of State)