Voters must register by July 9 for Michigan's Aug. 7 primary election

Paul Egan | Detroit Free Press

LANSING – Next Monday, July 9, is the deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 7 primary, and a state election official said registration to date is comparable to other recent midterm elections.

As of Saturday, 7,374,190 people had registered to vote in Michigan, said Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State's Office.

Michigan had 7,413,142 registered voters for the 2014 primary and 7,244,356 registered voters for the 2019 primary, Woodhams said. He only had final registration numbers for those years, not numbers for a week to go before the registration deadline.

"I encourage everyone eligible to register to vote and then cast your ballot on Election Day," Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said in a news release.

More: 14 candidates aiming to replace Rick Snyder as Michigan governor

More: When voters stay home, anything can happen

"You have an incredible opportunity to make your voice heard on federal, state and local leadership, but you must be registered first."

The primary ballot will include candidates for Michigan governor, U.S. senator, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, state House and Senate members, and judicial and local government posts.

To register, applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and residents of the city or township in which they register.

Voters may register by mail or in person at their county, city or township clerk office, or by visiting any Secretary of State branch office.

Residents can go to www.Michigan.gov/vote to obtain the address of their local clerk or to get a mail-in voter registration application.

First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 or older, are disabled, or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.