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Ingham County clerk recommends hand delivery of absentee primary election ballots

A ballot drop box appears outside the Foster Community Center in Lansing on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.
Sarah Lehr
/
WKAR News
A ballot drop box appears outside the Foster Community Center in Lansing on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.

Elections officials in Michigan are urging voters not to rely on the mail to get their absentee ballots in on time for the August primary election.

The Aug. 2 primary election is less than two weeks away, and at this point, mailing your ballot to your local clerk may not get it there on time.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum says processing the mail has been taking longer due to the pandemic.

She says people can turn in absentee ballots up to the time polls close on election day.

“Make sure they sign the back, outer envelope with their signature,” Byrum says. “And hand it over to their local clerk or place it in the local clerk’s drop box.”

Voters can request an absentee ballot in person up to 4 p.m. on the day before the election, Monday, Aug. 1.

Byrum adds that local clerks must be open for at least eight hours during the weekend before the election. Check with your clerk’s office for those hours, as they can vary from place to place.

Scott Pohl is a general assignment news reporter and produces news features and interviews. He is also an alternate local host on NPR's "Morning Edition."
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