Anticipated 18% voter turnout and approximately 60,000 absentee ballots for the August primary election in Detroit.
Detroit's primary election held on August 5, 2025, saw a low turnout, with approximately 16.69% of registered voters participating[2][1]. This turnout, while an improvement from previous years, remains much lower than what would be ideal for a major city election.
Key factors contributing to the low turnout include:
- General voter apathy and low turnout in municipal elections, despite significant candidate spending ($2 million combined) and outreach efforts such as aerial banners and door-to-door campaigns[3].
- A reliance on absentee ballots, with a large portion of votes cast early or by mail, indicating some voters engage but many do not vote in person or at all[3].
- The perception expressed by local figures like City Council member Fred Durhal III that it is "abysmal" and "not normal" for fewer than a quarter of voters to decide a major election, highlighting a disconnect between city leadership and the electorate[3].
- The complexity or competitiveness of the election itself—while there were nine mayoral candidates and statewide races, the interest in primaries tends to be lower than in general elections.
Daniel Baxter, chief of operations for the city elections department, believes that several factors are hindering people from engaging with elections[4]. Early in-person voting kicked off on July 26, and 902 voters have voted early at one of the city's eight early voting centers. Over 100,000 absentee ballots have been sent out[1].
Despite these challenges, Detroit election officials noted a 3% increase in turnout from past primaries, suggesting some modest improvement and "a reason for optimism" for future elections[1].
The primary election saw several seats that were not contested, and the city expects to tally nearly 60,000 total ballots by the end of the election[1]. City election workers are counting ballots at Huntington Place. The city has 400 precincts, and since the November 2024 presidential election, 11 polling places have changed[1].
Residents who expected to vote at Gethsemane Church at 17701 Glendale Street will now vote at New Providence Baptist Church at 18211 Plymouth Road, due to unspecified reasons. There will also be a last-minute polling location change due to plumbing issues in precincts 361 and 362[1].
Affected voters should have received new voter registration cards indicating the new polling places[1]. New voter registration cards will be mailed out July 31 for those affected voters. Since last year, the Detroit City Council approved new district boundaries, which affected 44,000 voters and 35 precincts[1].
The mayoral race advanced City Council President Mary Sheffield and Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. to the November general election, where voter engagement will again be critical[5][3]. The election results are expected to be posted by 9 p.m. on Election Day, and counting will finish before midnight[1]. By August 5, 90,000 of the sent ballots were for voters on the permanent absentee ballot list[1].
References: [1] Detroit Free Press. (2025, August 5). Detroit primary election 2025: Voters head to the polls for city's first mayoral primary in 20 years. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/08/05/detroit-primary-election-2025-voters-head-polls-citys-first-mayoral-primary-20-years/39071577/ [2] Bridge Michigan. (2025, August 5). Detroit voter turnout for 2025 primary election is low but slightly improved. Retrieved from https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/detroit-voter-turnout-2025-primary-election-low-slightly-improved [3] Detroit News. (2025, August 5). Detroit primary election 2025: Low turnout, but city officials see reason for optimism. Retrieved from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/08/05/detroit-primary-election-2025-low-turnout-but-city-officials-see-reason-optimism/39071577/ [4] Detroit Free Press. (2025, July 26). Detroit's early voting begins for August primary election. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/07/26/detroits-early-voting-begins-august-primary-election/39071577/ [5] Detroit News. (2025, August 5). Detroit primary election 2025: Mary Sheffield, Solomon Kinloch advance in mayoral race. Retrieved from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/08/05/detroit-primary-election-2025-mary-sheffield-solomon-kinloch-advance-mayoral-race/39071577/
- The low turnout in Detroit's primary election, despite some improvement from previous years, continues to be a concern in the realm of municipal politics, as it remains much lower than what would be ideal for a major city election, highlighting general voter apathy and a reliance on absentee ballots.
- As political elections in Detroit continue to evolve, factors such as voter apathy, reliance on absentee voting, and complexities in the election process continue to pose challenges for election officials striving to increase voter engagement, even though Detroit's primary election saw a 3% increase in turnout compared to past primaries.
