Early voting for Michigan's August primary election begins July 27

Registered voters in Michigan can vote in-person ahead of the August primary election thanks to early voting, which begins July 27.

After voters passed a ballot initiative in 2022, municipalities in Michigan are required to hold at least nine days of early voting for each statewide and federal election, with early voting locations mandated to remain open for at least eight hours on those days. For the Aug. 6 primary election, early voting begins July 27 and runs through Aug. 4.

How does early voting work?

Early voting works just like going to the polls on Election Day, except, well, it's earlier. Registered voters can visit an early voting location, fill out their ballots and cast them before Election Day. For voters who want to cast their ballots in person but may have time constraints on Election Day itself, early voting allows another convenient option, advocates say.

The August primary will be the second statewide election in Michigan to feature early voting — in February, more than 78,000 voters cast their ballots in the Michigan presidential primary at early voting sites across the state, according to figures released by the Secretary of State's office.

State law allows municipalities to hold up to 29 days of early voting, if local election officials opt to add more dates. So far, communities have limited early voting to the required nine days — no jurisdiction in Michigan is starting early voting ahead of Saturday, said Cheri Hardmon, press secretary for the Secretary of State's office.

How is early voting different from absentee voting?

While Michigan also offers absentee voting, early voting is different for a few reasons: At early voting locations, ballots are placed directly into tabulators after voters fill them out, whereas absentee ballots are returned through the mail, at a secure drop box location or at a local clerk’s office. In every Michigan community, election workers can tabulate absentee ballots the day before Election Day, with larger cities having the ability to start even earlier.

Additionally, absentee ballots can also be spoiled after they are returned, up to 5 p.m. on the second Friday before an election. Ballots cast at early voting locations cannot be spoiled. Spoiling an absentee ballot cancels its submission and allows the voter to cast a new ballot.

If voters have received an absentee ballot already, they can insert those ballots into a tabulator at an early voting site, but those ballots cannot be spoiled either, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office.

How can I vote early? And where?

First, you must be registered to vote in Michigan. Within 15 days of an election , eligible Michiganders must register with proof of residency at their local clerk’s office. In some communities, early voting sites may also be at a local clerk’s office.

To find your early voting location and its operating hours, go to the Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote . Here, you can also find your local clerk’s office if you still need to register to vote. Cities and townships may partner with one another or the county to operate an early voting location, so your early voting location could be in a different jurisdiction than your usual polling precinct.

Once you’re registered and you know where you’re going, you can visit your early voting location and cast your ballot.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com .

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Early voting for Michigan's August primary election begins July 27