Absentee ballots mailed out for Michigan's August 4 primary election

Absentee ballots for Michigan's Aug. 4 election are being mailed this week to voters who have requested them, according to local election clerks in Southeast Michigan. 

All registered voters in Michigan can vote by mail through an absentee ballot delivered to their home, the Michigan Secretary of State says. Those ballots can be mailed back, dropped off at a designated ballot box or dropped off at a local election clerk's office. 

Michigan voters can either request a one-time absentee ballot or ask to be added to a permanent absentee ballot list so that ballots are automatically sent to them. No reason is needed to request absentee ballots in Michigan, under a voter initiative passed in 2018 that addressed voting rules and procedures in the state. 

Absentee ballots are available starting 40 days before an election. 

Michigan's Aug. 4 election is a primary for races including the state's congressional seats and the governor's race. The general election is on Nov. 3.