What is the primary election?
The primary elections indicate who will be appointed the delegates of the Democrat and Republican parties for the upcoming presidential election.
Michigan’s primary election will take place on March 8. The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
What to do before the primary election:
Make sure you are eligible to vote in the United States.
To register to vote, you must be:
- Be A U.S. citizen
- 18 years old by election day
- Resident of your state
Unsure if you're registered to vote? Go to www.michigan.gov/vote to find out.
The deadline to register for the primary elections has passed. However, to vote in the presidential election, you must fill out your registration application at least 30 days before Election Day.
Write in the address for where you wish to be registered. If you want to vote in East Lansing, be sure to write in your East Lansing address.
Submit your application.
You can turn in your application to register to vote at the city or township clerk’s office if where you would like to register. The application can also be hand delivered or mailed in.
Once your registration is processed, keep the registration card the clerk’s office sent you in your wallet.
Voting in the primary election.
Be sure to bring a photo ID with you. A driver’s license, passport or student ID are acceptable forms of identification.
You will also need your voter registration card. This tells you where your precinct, or polling location, is. You can also visit michigan.gov/vote to find your polling location.
If you register by mail, you don't have to vote in person on Election Day. If you choose to vote using an absentee ballot, you can appear in person with a photo ID wherever you are registered to vote and request a ballot before to the election.
Students are also eligible to request an absentee ballot if they are not able to travel back to the town in which they are registered to vote. A request form can also be found on the michigan.gov website.
The application must be mailed to the person’s local clerk’s office no later than 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election.
