More than 1.5M Michiganders request absentee ballot ahead of August primary

With fewer than four weeks until the Michigan primary election, the Secretary of State's Office said 1.5 million voters have requested an absentee ballot.

According to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, more than 178,000 voters have submitted a completed ballot, which is more than the previous record set in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's August primary election will determine who will face off for either party in the November general election, with several major races on the ballot.

“This is great news for Michigan, and for democracy,” Benson said in a statement. “In 2020, we saw our highest turnout elections in Michigan history. It is thrilling to see we are on track to exceed those high turnout levels in 2024 and even more exciting to see voters engaged early at such significant numbers and committed to ensuring their voice is heard."

Michigan has no-excuse absentee voting and also now allows early voting ahead of Election Day.

Voters can request an absentee ballot online, by mail or at a clerk's office . You can return the ballot by mail, but it's recommended that you turn it in at a drop box, at an early voting site or at a clerk's office if within 14 days of the election.

According to the SOS, there have been 1,518,665 Michiganders who requested a ballot and 178,931 who have returned it. Compare that to 1,360,832 requests and 111,014 on July 7, 2020, 28 days before the primary.

People can check the status of their application or ballot online at Michigan.gov/Vote or by contacting their local election clerk.