City of Detroit holding block parties ahead of November election

(CBS DETROIT) — The City of Detroit Clerk’s Office will hold block parties at early voting locations until election day.

Early voting kicked off over the weekend, with nearly 4,000 Detroit residents opting in, according to the clerk’s office. 

“After they eat good and play good games we hope to get them inside to go vote early,” said Deputy City Clerk Andre Gilbert.

Voting isn’t required to attend the event, but city leaders believe it’ll encourage people to do so by meeting them where they are. 

“We started in July by registering people,” Gilbert told CBS Detroit. “Now we’re going to each and every one of our early vote sites to do the same thing.”

Yarely Damien was one of hundreds who showed up to the downtown event on Monday. She has voted early already and has also encouraged her husband to do the same for the first time since he became a citizen 14 years ago. 

“It makes a difference, so I am super excited,” Damien said. “Not only am I getting him to vote, I’m getting my two oldest children to vote as well.”

The Detroit City Clerk’s Office told CBS Detroit that nearly 4,000 Detroit residents have already made their choice in the first weekend of early voting.

Damien is hopeful that the number will keep climbing.

“There’s a lot of policies in place and I think it’s really important that we start looking after our children and the future that is coming up,” Damien said.

Another Detroit Votes Early party will take place on Tuesday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Clark Park in Southwest Detroit.