[3] Michigan voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump of Florida, and his running mate, Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana against the Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware, and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California.

[4] In 2016, Trump became the first Republican to carry Michigan since 1988, when George H. W. Bush had scored a decisive nationwide win against Michael Dukakis.

With Ohio, Florida, and Iowa backing the losing candidate for the first time since 1960, 1992, and 2000 respectively, this election established Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania as the states with the longest bellwether streak still in effect today.

Many undecided/third-party voters that had been lost by Clinton appeared to return to the Democratic column, giving Biden enough votes to carry the state.

[198] While Michigan returned to the Democratic column with a somewhat comfortable margin, the state's internal politics shifted rather dramatically.

Trump performed strongly with white voters without a college degree, winning this group by 17 points, and this group made up about 51% of Michigan's electorate, cementing the white-working-class shift to the GOP; with men, this was even more convincing, as Trump carried white men without a college degree by 30 points.

More importantly, Biden performed strongly with white Catholics, who make up a large portion of Michigan's electorate.

[203][204] Jeremy W. Peters of The New York Times wrote that "high Detroit turnout" was a crucial factor aiding Biden.

[205] African Americans in Detroit were a major demographic contributing to Joe Biden winning that state.

[214] On election night in Antrim County, human error miscounted an unofficial tally of Presidential votes.

[216] The very next day, she corrected her mistake, tabulated all ballots again and ran a final report to certify Trump's overwhelming win.

[216] The Republican Chairman concluded in a letter prefacing his state Senate Oversight Committee's election report: "all compelling theories that sprang forth from the rumors surrounding Antrim County are diminished so significantly as for it to be a complete waste of time to consider them further.

"[222] After eight months investigating the state's 2020 general election process, he and his Republican Committee members all voted for the Senate to adopt their report.

Their report concluded, "The Committee found no evidence of widespread or systemic fraud in Michigan's prosecution of the 2020 election.