Michigan primary election 2020: Yes, you can change your vote on absentee ballots

Since the passage of Proposal 3 in 2018, any registered voter can now cast absentee ballots in Michigan. And voters are fully taking advantage of the option for the 2020 presidential primary March 10.

Nearly 800,000 voters have requested absentee ballots, which is nearly double the number at this point in the 2016 presidential primary cycle.

But many of those voters may have chosen a candidate who has since dropped out of the race. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg left the race Sunday after finishing a distant fourth in South Carolina on Saturday. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who gained some momentum in New Hampshire, but finished a distant sixth in South Carolina withdrew from the race on Monday. New York businessman Tom Steyer also has dropped out. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and New York businessman Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race after the Super Tuesday contests.

Take heart, though, those absentee ballots can be retrieved and revoted for any reason. Absentee voters have until 4 p.m. Monday, March 9, to go to their local clerk's office, sign a request to get a new ballot, fill it out and leave it with the clerk.

As of Monday morning, 3,894 voters had spoiled the absentee ballots they had already sent to local clerks and gotten new ballots to cast.

More Michigan primary coverage:

Absentee ballot frenzy continues in Michigan, with nearly 800,000 sought by voters

When is the Michigan presidential primary 2020? Everything you need to know

For the uninitiated, making sure your vote counts is the goal. And your best bet is to drop off your filled-out ballot at your local clerk's office instead of mailing it to guarantee that it doesn't get lost or delayed in the mail.

"The bottom line is, once you decide to do your voting outside the actual polling place, there are a lot of other variables at play and other players to consider — the postal service being one of them," said former state elections director Chris Thomas. "I will drop my ballot off at the clerk's office."

More tips for voting absentee