Over 200,000 people have already voted in Michigan’s primary

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Only three weeks before Michigan’s Aug. 2 primary election, over 200,000 people have already cast their votes.

Absentee ballot request data from the state shows that 1.03 million Michiganders have requested their ballots for the primary election next month. That is up 88% from 2018, when 549,736 citizens requested absentee ballots.

As of Monday, 215,579 ballots had been returned. That is 37% more than the 157,908 people who had voted three weeks before Michigan’s primary in 2018.

With the passing of Proposal 3 in 2018, every Michigan citizen was granted the right to request an absentee ballot without having to provide a reason.

Michigan residents who are eligible to vote can register online until Monday, July 18, or at their local clerk’s office through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters who are already registered can request an absentee ballot to be delivered to them by mail. This can be done in person at your local clerk’s office or online at Michigan.gov/Vote. The state recommends requesting the absentee ballot by July 18 so that it comes in on time. Voters can fill out their ballot and submit it in the same visit at their local clerk’s office.

You can check the status of your absentee application or ballot online at Michigan.gov/Vote or by calling your local election clerk. Once you receive your absentee ballot in the mail, complete it, sign the back of the envelope and mail it or drop it off at your local clerk’s office or drop box.

Under Michigan law, voters can only cast votes for one party’s candidates in primary ballots. Votes for candidates in multiple parties on the same ballot will not be counted, according to the secretary of state.

Polls will be open for in-person voting on Election Day, Aug. 2, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.