Michigan voters head to the polls today, August 4, 2026, to choose nominees for governor, U.S. Senate, House, and state legislative races in the state’s primary election. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters can find their assigned polling place by visiting michigan.gov/vote and entering their voter information into the Michigan Voter Information Center.
This is Michigan’s first open governor’s race since 2018, with incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer term-limited. On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are competing for the party’s nomination, while the Republican primary features U.S. Representative John James, businessman Perry Johnson, former state party chair Mike Cox, and Aric Nesbitt. For U.S. Senate, Democrats Abdul El-Sayed, Haley Stevens, and Mallory McMorrow are vying for their party’s nomination.
Voters can use the Michigan Voter Information Center to look up their polling location, check their registration status, and view a sample ballot before arriving to vote. The center also allows voters to track the status of mail-in ballots. For those who prefer not to visit the website, calling a local city or township clerk provides the same information.
Early voting participation has been strong heading into today. As of July 29, more than 832,000 Michigan voters had already cast ballots during the early voting period, which ran from July 25 through August 2, according to the Michigan Secretary of State. The state’s total registered voter population stands at approximately 7.9 million, with Democrats making up 53.2 percent of active registrations.
For those who missed the voter registration deadline, it’s too late to register for today’s primary. Online and mail registration closed July 20, though Michigan allowed in-person registration through August 4 at local clerk offices. Voters who registered in person during that window are eligible to vote today.
Michigan’s primary races span multiple offices, with the governor’s race drawing particular attention as the state selects nominees for the general election scheduled for November 3. Voters should bring a valid form of identification to their polling place, though Michigan law allows those without ID to vote provisionally after signing an affidavit.
Sources
- Michigan Secretary of State — poll hours, voter registration deadlines, early voting turnout figures
- Ballotpedia — Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary candidates, Senate race candidates, open governor race context
- Michigan Voter Information Center (michigan.gov/vote) — polling place lookup, voter information resources
- Michigan Advance — 2026 primary election races and candidate information
- Cook Political Report — Senate race significance and national context
- Michigan Independent Voter Project — registered voter statistics by party affiliation
