Polls opened at 7 a.m., close at 8 p.m.
The mayor was punctual, arriving at precinct 135, at River House Condominiums on the 8900 block of East Jefferson, at 7:30 a.m., as expected, and accompanied by his son and daughter.
The Duggans were far from the first to vote that morning, with polls opening at 7 a.m. Immediately upon reaching the front desk, the mayor was complimentary of poll workers.
While Duggan declined to say what he’d consider a successful voter turnout, he did say, in remarks after voting, that he made his case over the last four years, but that the end result was in the hands of voters.
“In about 12 hours, I’m gonna get a report card from the people I work for,” Duggan said. “The response has been great from one end of the city to the other, but on Election Day you just want to see the final numbers.”
Detroit Mayoral hopeful Coleman A. Young Jr. cast his ballot In Tuesday’s election at the Marcus Garvey Academy on Kercheval at Van Dyke, the city’s polling place for voting precincts 132 and 134.
Young voted in precinct 134 at about 8:45 a.m. He greeted poll workers with handshakes and hugs.
After he submitted his ballot, he sounded confident about defeating incumbent Mike Duggan.
“We feel like victory is on hand,” the state senator told reporters outside of the polls. “I think our message really connected with voters, so I’m really excited and expect victory.”
He also encouraged Detroiters to get out and vote Tuesday.
“Vote Coleman Young,” he said. “Take Ray-Ray, take Pookie, take all them out to the polls and make sure they vote and they vote for Coleman Young.”
Detroit resident Clare Valenti said the city clerk’s race prompted her to go to her polling place at the Marcus Garvey Academy to vote Tuesday.
“I cast my vote for Garlin Gilchrist,” she said as she left the school. “I feel we need a change. Janice Winfrey has been around long enough and it’s time to switch up that position.”
Valenti also said she wasn’t as concerned about the mayoral race.
“I kind of have a feeling about how it’s going to go, so that one isn’t as big to me.”
Voters across Metro Detroit are hitting the polls Tuesday for Michigan’s General Election will choose mayors and city councils for their communities as well as decide the fate of several ballot proposals.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.
Detroiters will select either incumbent Duggan or challenger state Sen. Coleman Young II as the city’s mayor. They’ll also pick members of the next city council and elect other city officials, including clerk and police commissioner as well as consider a couple of medical marijuana dispensary proposals.
In neighboring Macomb County, voters also are set to decide mayoral races in several communities and will decide questions about school bond proposals.
The largest measure is in Center Line, where residents are being asked to support a $59.3 million, 25-year bond issue to pay for facility upgrade and replace school buses in the Center Line Public Schools district. If approved, the bond would raise property taxes by 4.9 mills, or $196 a year on an $80,000 home.
Meanwhile, Oakland County’s voters will go to the polls for dozens of local election races and ballot questions. The most watched will arguably be in Pontiac, where incumbent Deirdre Waterman is opposed by city councilman Mark Holland and two write-in candidates, Linda Kay Hasson and Alfred Patrick.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
