Michigan SOS urges absentee voters to 'immediately' mail in primary election ballots

If you plan to mail in your absentee ballot for the Aug. 4 primary election, you better hurry.

With one week left, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is urging absentee voters to “immediately” mail in their ballots to ensure they are counted.

Ballots that are received after Election Day won’t be counted.

You have another option: Take your ballot to a dropbox or your clerk’s office.
Here’s a list of dropbox locations.

“Voters should get their absentee ballots returned as quickly as possible,” Benson says in a news release. “This close to the primary, Michiganders should return their absentee ballots to their clerk’s office directly, or submit them via their local ballot drop box, in order to ensure their vote is counted.”

Benson and public health officials are encouraging residents to cast absentee ballots to avoid crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-thirds of Michigan voters approved a 2018 constitutional amendment that permits no-excuse absentee voting.

The state has received nearly 2 million applications for absentee ballots. So far, more than 900,000 have been returned.

The August primary ballots vary by community. Many elections include candidates for Congress, state House, and county prosecutor, sheriff, clerk, and treasurer. Click here to see what's on your ballot.

President Donald Trump has made repeated, unfounded claims that mail-in voting will cause widespread fraud. Fact-checkers have debunked his claims.

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