Photo Essay: Election Day 2022 in Ann Arbor

Well before many students attended their first class of the day, polls opened at 7 a.m. and lines snaked around polling places throughout Ann Arbor. Students and local Ann Arbor residents turned out en masse to fulfill their civic duty. Motivated by issues such as reproductive rights, inflation and environmental measures, voters of all stripes went to the polls to make their voices heard.

Students waited for up to six hours to cast their votes. National media took note of this passion for democracy and record-breaking turnout.

The long lines and invigorated student voters did not waver throughout the day. The Michigan Daily photo staff covered Election Day from the sunny Tuesday morning rush through the chilly night hours as Wednesday begun.

11:00 a.m.

Grace Beal/Daily. Buy this photo.

As students rolled out of bed or finished their early morning classes, the University of Michigan Museum of Modern Art became the Central Campus Election Day hotspot.

The UMMA was transformed into one of the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s satellite offices in the run-up to Election Day. The satellite offices, which the clerk rolled out on campus during the 2020 election in partnership with UMICH Votes Coalition, allow residents of Ann Arbor to register and vote prior to and on Election Day.

12:00 p.m.

At the U-M Coliseum, another popular Ann Arbor polling place, students who registered prior to Election Day were able to skip the lines and cast their votes with other Ann Arbor voters.

12:30 p.m.

Students on North Campus lined up at the James and Anne Duderstadt Center, the second clerk’s satellite office.

Ellie Vice/Daily. Buy this photo.

Students are provided snacks and drinks from volunteers as they cast their votes and wait in line.

1:00 p.m.

On Mary Street, the location of the 32nd precinct in Ann Arbor’s 4th Ward, Carlye Crisler sets up her canvas. Crisler, an Ann Arbor resident, U-M alum and artist, paints the voters coming in and out of the polling place.

2:00 p.m.

The lines and demonstrations continue to grow on Central Campus as volunteers provided students registration forms, students cast their votes and others attempted to garner support for candidates and other ballot initiatives.

3:00 p.m.

Camille Orso, a volunteer with the Michigan Democratic party, left, and Tom Morrand, a class of 1977 Michigan alum, right, stand on Central Campus with signs with voting information and support of Governor Whitmer and Proposal 3. Grace Beal/Daily. Buy this photo.

3:30 p.m.

North Campus mirrored Central Campus as students and volunteers kept energy high in the lines of the Duderstadt Center.

4:00 p.m.

Ann Arbor residents cast their votes at the Mary Street polling place Tuesday evening. Anna Fuder/Daily. Buy this photo.

Back at Mary Street, U-M students assist voters in acquiring their ballots. This polling place, which used to serve as a bird sanctuary, is the oldest still-standing polling place in Ann Arbor.

LSA students Carson Ching, left, and Will Clancy, right, assist voters in obtaining their ballots as Ann Arbor residents cast their votes at the Mary Street polling place Tuesday evening. Anna Fuder/Daily. Buy this photo.

5:00 p.m.

Students wait outside of the UMMA to register to vote Tuesday evening. Students are also provided with snacks and drinks. Alyssa Shea Mulligan/Daily. Buy this photo.

9:00 p.m.

The academic day came to an end, but lines remained lengthy and temperatures began to drop.

Calls for blankets were posted to Twitter and were immediately answered by community members supporting the students standing strong in the up-to-four-hour-long registration line.

Students wrap up in blankets provided to them by community members while waiting to vote at the UMMA Tuesday night. Jenna Hickey/Daily. Buy this photo.

1:00 a.m.

The remaining dedicated students lounged and slept at the UMMA as their hours of waiting finally brought them to the registration table and voting booths.

Two students sleep as other students cast their votes in the UMMA at 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. Grace Beal/Daily. Buy this photo.

The Michigan Daily’s coverage of voting on campus came to a close at 1 a.m. The final UMMA voter, Rackham student Erik Pedersen, told The Daily that he cast his vote at 2:05 a.m.

Pedersen and all student voters’ efforts will certainly impact the results of races yet to be called and be remembered as part of the power of U-M student voters.

Managing Photo Editor Grace Beal can be reached at gbeal@umich.edu.

Thank you to Managing Photo Editor Tess Crowley, Assistant Photo Editor Jenna Hickey, Assistant Photo Editor Lila Turner, Senior Multimedia Photo Editor Emma Mati, Managing News Editor Dominic Colletti, Sports Writer Liza Cushnir, and all of The Michigan Daily photo staff for their assistance in the production of this piece of U-M history.