'They all count': 94-year-old Michigan woman whose absentee ballot hasn't arrived travels 600 miles to vote
A 94-year-old woman who has not received her absentee ballot made a 600 mile round-trip so she could vote in November's election.
Mildred Madison, who is unwell and staying with her son Julian, in Zion, Illinois, crossed the state border to get back to Detroit, Michigan, where she lives and is registered to vote.
"I said I had better go back to Detroit and make sure that I vote," Ms Madison told CNN on Monday. "I'm glad I did because I haven't seen a ballot yet."
It was not immediately clear why Ms Madison has not yet received her ballot, although she said the voting office told her it had been sent.
Despite the office's assurances, Ms Madison was not prepared to take any risks in an election she described as "the most important vote that we've ever had".
"I wanted to make sure my vote counted," the nonagenarian said. "This was very easy. I could sit in my wheelchair."
Ms Madison in September 2019 moved to stay with her son after becoming unwell. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the mother-of-four decided to stay in Illinois.
She requested her ballot be sent to her son's address but as of 10 October it still hadn't arrived.
Mother and son on 12 October decided to make the 330 mile journey to Detroit. They set off at 6.30 am and arrived at Detroit City hall at around midday.
Wearing a black mask with the word 'vote' on it, Ms Madison, who has been voting for over 50 years, cast her ballot with help from her son, who had been pushing her wheelchair into the Detroit polling station.
"At least I made it," Ms Madison said with a chuckle. "I made it and voted for the people I wanted to vote for, and I hope they win. But I felt satisfied that I was not going to miss voting."
Ms Madison, who has a history of political activism, had one parting message: "We must vote…You just start at 18 and keep on going to until the very end and try to vote in every election. They all count".
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