### Trump Urges Early Voting in Michigan Despite Criticizing System

Novi - In a weekend rally in Oakland County, former President Donald Trump sent a mixed message to his Michigan supporters, urging them to vote early while criticizing lengthy early voting windows as a "ridiculous system." Speaking at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Trump remarked, "You have the rest of your life to vote. Anytime you want," even as large screens encouraged attendees to "swamp the vote" and pledge to vote early.

Trump's rally came with just nine days left of early, in-person voting ahead of the upcoming November 5 election. Despite his skepticism about the efficiency of early voting and the transparency of voter identification policies, Trump stressed the importance of casting ballots. "There's bad stuff going on," he insisted in his speech.

The former president's platform included topics like immigration and economic plans, as well as touting support from Michigan's Muslim community. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi and Imam Belal Alzuhairi of Hamtramck both expressed support for Trump. Bazzi mentioned the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine while reminiscing about times of peace during Trump's presidency.

Meanwhile, with a tight race anticipated against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans are focusing on boosting early voter turnout. Public polling indicates Trump performs better among Election Day voters, while he faces challenges with those voting early or via absentee ballots. Currently, about 1.48 million absentee ballots and 158,377 early in-person votes have been cast in Michigan, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Prominent speakers like U.S. Rep. John James and Trump adviser Stephen Miller underscored the necessity of early voting to rally attendees. James equated waiting to vote to a sports team allowing their opponents to build an insurmountable lead.

Trump's Michigan rally drew significant attendance as he aims to close the 3-point, 154,000-vote gap by which he lost to Joe Biden in 2020. Despite pursuing claims of widespread election fraud, successive court rulings and investigations have upheld Biden's victory.

The 2022 ballot measure mandates a minimum of nine days of early voting in Michigan, with the period ending on November 3. Whether Trump can gain ground in Michigan's suburban areas through early voting could prove crucial.

Back in Oakland County, where Trump spoke, he aims to offset the 108,177-vote deficit he saw in the 2020 election. Republicans have been highly focused on voter outreach, though local GOP Chairman Vance Patrick tempered expectations for a dramatic shift in voter sentiment.

With early voting being encouraged, attendees like Anthony Whipkey from St. Clair Shores intend to cast their ballots promptly. Meanwhile, Democrats critique Trump's term, pointing to a decrease in auto industry jobs in Michigan before the pandemic.

Trump assured his supporters of a future economic upturn, promising tariffs on imported vehicles and reduced corporate taxes for U.S.-based manufacturers. "It's going to happen," Trump assured. Supporters like Elizabeth Sutherland, who runs a construction contracting business, attribute better economic performance to Trump's previous presidency.

As both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign vigorously in Michigan, the focus remains on swaying early voters to secure a decisive mandate ahead of Election Day.