The 2024 presidential primary is the first time in Michigan that voters will be able to do early, in-person voting.
Michigan voters approved a slew of voting changes in 2022 with proposal 2 – one of them being in-person early voting.
Under the change, voters can cast a ballot before Election Day in an experience similar to voting on Election Day. Voters are issued ballots and then can insert their ballot directly into a tabulator at an early voting site.
Anyone registered in Michigan to vote has the right to vote early, in person at an early voting site.
Voters can look up their assigned early voting site or sites up to 60 days before the election on the state's voter information website.
Hours vary by location, but early voting must be offered for at least nine consecutive days, beginning on the second Saturday before the election and ending on the Sunday before the election, for eight hours a day.
Key dates for early voting are below.
- 2024 Presidential Primary - Tuesday, Feb. 27: Early voting from Saturday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 25
- 2024 August Primary - Tuesday, Aug. 6: Early voting from Saturday, July 27 through Sunday, Aug. 4.
- 2024 General Election - Tuesday, Nov. 5: Early voting from Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, Nov. 3.
How are ballots organized and retained?
The Michigan Department of State breaks down information about how early voting ballots are organized after they are submitted.
According to the state, on Election Day, ballots at a polling place are stored by precincts, and though many early voting sites can have several precincts, tabulators at early voting sites are programmed to count ballots from different precincts and to record the results by each individual percent.
"All ballots submitted in Michigan, whether at an early voting site, a polling place, or by absentee voting, are retained and available for review during the post-election canvass, recount, and audit processes," the state said.
