News File Photo The American Flag flies over Alpena City Hall.

ALPENA — The primary election that decides which candidates get to represent their party in November doesn’t happen until Aug. 2, but hundreds of Northeast Michiganders could make their decision well before then.

By law, clerks have to make absentee ballots — also called mail-in ballots — available to the public by Thursday.

And state law says anyone can get an absentee ballot for any reason.

To do so, registered voters can visit Michigan.gov/vote no later than 5 p.m. July 29, the Friday before the election, to fill out an absentee voter request form.

Voters can also call their township or city clerk to ask that an application be mailed to them, which they can then return by mail or in person by 5 p.m. July 29.

Voters also can visit their township or city clerk’s office any time up to 4 p.m. Aug.1, the day before the election, to pick up an application.

Once voters have filled out and turned in an application for an absentee ballot, their clerks will mail a ballot to them. Then those absentee voters can just fill out their ballot at home and return it to their township or city clerk, either by mail or by dropping it off in person.

To avoid potential delays in the postal delivery, the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office recommends voters obtain and mail their ballot at least two weeks before Election Day. That would be July 19.

The ballot must reach voters’ township or city clerks no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.