Election Day 2024 live updates: Polls open across most of Michigan

The day has come. Tuesday, Nov. 5 is Election Day in the U.S., and eyes are on Michigan as a swing state in the presidential race. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting to maintain a razor-thin majority in the state House, other key roles of representation locally and in D.C. are in play, and races down the ballot will decide leadership in the realms of education and justice.

Here are the latest updates from Michigan on Election Day 2024:

7 a.m.: Polls are open across (most of) Michigan

Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. local time in Michigan today. Four counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are on Central time, while the rest of the state is on Eastern time.

If you are in line by 8 p.m., you should remain in line and have the right to cast your vote.  

Michigan’s biggest 2024 election contests 

The presidential race is looming over the whole nation, but is especially close in Michigan, one of seven key swing states this cycle. Polling in Michigan is close enough that it’s impossible to predict the outcome. And that’s not the only hot contest.  

Michigan’s U.S. Senate race between Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers has been running tight, with the open seat considered a key prize for either party.  

There are also three ultracompetitive congressional races. The 7^th and 8^th Congressional Districts near Lansing and Saginaw, respectively, have open seats. In the 10^th Congressional District, it’s a rematch between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. John James and Democrat Carl Marlinga, who lost the district by just about half a percentage point last cycle.  

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.