City Clerk Janice Winfrey responds to voting access, turnout criticisms ahead of primary

Voters in Detroit face a defining choice in the August 5 mayoral primary election. But right now, fewer than 10% of registered voters have participated. Most of those ballots have been mailed in. In‑person early voting, which ended August 4, was minimal. The primary is Tuesday, August 5. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

Voter accessibility has also been a question. During the 2021 election, disability advocates filed an ADA complaint saying key voting information, like where and how to vote, was inaccessible online for users of screen readers, affecting thousands of Detroiters. And, some polling locations across metro Detroit remain inaccessible to voters with disabilities.

Detroit’s top election official, City Clerk Janice Winfrey, joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

The Metro has spoken with all of the candidates running for mayor. You can find those conversations in the podcast feed, or at WDET.org/voterguide2025.

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