Over 8% of Michigan voters already have submitted absentee ballots for August primary

Michigan voters are returning absentee ballots for the August 4 primay at a record pace, with over 614,000 absentee ballots returned as of Wednesday morning. 

The Michigan Secretary of State said the number of ballots returned so far adds up to 8.4% of the 7,352,611 active registered voters, and is a much higher return rate than the 2022 midterm primary. 

Michigan has 1,917,073 actively registered voters who requested to be on the permanent absentee ballot list after that option became more widely available a few years ago. The requested absentee ballots are sent by mail; voters can return them by mail or in person to a specified ballot drop box or their local election clerk's office. 

"It's exciting to see more Canton voters taking advantage of Michigan's permanent absentee ballot list," said Michael Siegrist, Canton Township clerk. "Requests have increased by more than 26% in two years, growing from 20,008 to 25,282 sent ballots. That increase reflects the convenience and confidence voters have in this option." 

Voters who choose to use early in-person voting process will be able to do so starting on Saturday 

Sample ballots, early in-person voting sites and Election Day voting locations can be found at the Michigan Voter Information Center website.  

Those who are not yet registered to vote but wish to do so in the August election must handle that process in person as the deadline has passed for online and mail voter registration. 

The August election in Michigan is a statewide primary, with candidates selected to represent their parties in November for one U.S. Senate seat, all of Michigan's congressional seats, the governor's race, and a variety of local issues and races. 

The above video originally aired on June 25, 2026.