Michigan elections FAQ: Early voting starts Saturday for August primary

• Early in-person voting for Michigan’s Aug. 6 primary begins July 27
• The primary will decide congressional and state House candidates who advance to the general election
• Voters can find their early in-person voting location online

Michigan voters awaiting November’s historical presidential election have the option to cast their ballot for the state’s Aug. 6 primaries in less than a week, thanks to a new early in-person voting law.

The early voting period for the primary begins Saturday. Michigan voters will be able to put their completed ballot into a tabulator at designated early voting sites.

Bridge Michigan is answering reader questions about the primary, candidates and voting rules as part of our elections FAQ series. Ask your question here.

The primary ballot will feature Democratic and Republican candidates running for Michigan’s 13 congressional districts, the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, 110 state House districts and local judicial races. Winners will advance to the Nov. 5 general election.

Registered voters can vote the Republican side of the primary ballot or the Democratic side — but not both.

Related: 

• Michigan 2024 primary: 934K absentee ballots cast, 78K in-person early votes
• What's new in Michigan 2024 election? Early voting, ballot tracking on list

Over 78,000 Michigan voters cast ballots early and in person during the February presidential primary, making up about 4 percent of the total vote. Local clerks say the new option will be especially helpful to manage expected high turnout rates during the November election.

How to register to vote in Michigan

Any U.S. citizen above the age of 18 living in Michigan for more than 30 days is eligible to vote in the primary, with the exception of those in prison.

Michigan automatically registers to vote anyone who is eligible and of age when they obtain a state identification card or driver’s license. The deadline to register online for the Aug. 6 primary has already passed, but you can register to vote through Election Day at your local clerk’s office. 

To see if your voter registration is up to date, visit Michigan’s Voter Information Center here.

Voting early in-person

Unlike in-person absentee voting, Michigan’s new early voting option allows voters to fill out their ballot and insert it into a tabulator to see that it has been counted, just as they would on Election Day. 

Early in-person voting for this election begins for all districts on July 27 and continues through Aug. 4, but precincts had a choice to offer the option earlier. 

The number and location of early voting sites will vary by community because of flexibility written into the law. Type in your voter information here to find your nearest early voting location. 

Voting absentee

Michiganders can also vote early via absentee ballot. If you don’t already have an absentee ballot, it’s probably best to go to your local clerk’s office to request one. You can still request a ballot online through Aug. 2, but the secretary of state recommends applying by July 22 to allow time for delivery. 

Completed absentee ballots can be returned directly to a local clerk’s office, to an official drop-box or mailed with the provided pre-paid envelope. 

But because there are less than 14 days before the primary election, the secretary of state recommends against relying on the mail at this point. It won’t count if it doesn’t reach your local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

To find your nearest drop box and check the status of your ballot, click here.

Voting on Election Day

You can also simply wait to vote on Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but, if there is a line, you can still vote later as long as you were already in line by 8 p.m. You can find your polling place here. 

Bring a photo identification card to the polls if you have one. If you do not have one, you will be asked to sign an affidavit confirming your identity before casting your ballot.

If your name does not appear on the check-in list at the polling place, you will be issued a provisional ballot. Once a provisional ballot is cast, a voter has six days to provide appropriate identification to their local clerk. Once election officials can verify that a voter is correctly registered, the provisional ballot will be counted.