Many Michigan voters plan to stay home for the August primary, but they're still planning to vote.
Clerks around the state have already received more than 1.3 million absentee ballot applications. That's a million more ballots than were requested a month before the 2016 August primary.
“Obviously COVID does play a huge factor, as people think about the different options for voting safely this year,” says Tracy Wimmer, spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
Wimmer says it’s too early to say whether the high number of absentee ballot requests will mean a higher than normal turnout for the August primary.
She says requests for absentee ballot applications have been rising since Michigan voters approved "No Reason" absentee voting in 2018.
The Secretary of State’s office sent absentee ballot applications to all registered voters earlier this year.
