The brisk pace of voting continued on Election Day, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the state had its highest total turnout in history.

More than 5.67 million votes were cast in Michigan, or about 79% of the state’s active voters.

Debra Cleaver, founder and CEO of VoteAmerica.org, believes the widespread use of absentee voting in 2020 during the pandemic has significantly contributed to the higher participation being seen this year.

“So you had all these Americans receiving their ballot in the mail for the first time and realizing how convenient it was,” Cleaver said. “We’re just seeing a lot of interesting things going on in Michigan.”

Cleaver adds the early voting numbers in Michigan include both the people voting by mail and those who voted early.