LANSING — With less than a month left before the August primary, nearly 6,000 Copper Country voters have submitted applications for absentee ballots.

Statewide, more than 1.5 million voters have requested absentee ballots and more than 178,000 have filled out and submitted them, according to figures announced by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.

As of Tuesday, the numbers in local counties are:

Baraga County: 1,007 absentee ballot applications received, 131 absentee ballots returned

Houghton County: 3,638 applications received, 237 ballots returned

Keweenaw County: 360 applications received, 61 ballots returned

Ontonagon County: 867 applications received, 99 ballots received

The statewide numbers 28 days before the election are significantly higher than at the same point in 2020, the first presidential election year after voters approved no-reason absentee voting. Absentee ballot requests were up 11.6%; the 178,931 returned ballots is a 61.1% increase.

Voters can check the status of their absentee application or ballot online at Michigan.gov/Vote or by contacting their local election clerk, the SOS office said in a release Tuesday. Voters who already received an absentee ballot should promptly complete it, sign the back of the envelope, and mail it or drop it off at their clerk’s office or designated ballot drop box.

Eligible Michigan citizens can register to vote online or by mail until Monday, July 22, or in person at their local clerk’s office with proof of residency by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

To cast a ballot in person, voters can go to an early voting site in their jurisdiction from July 27 to Aug. 4 or to their polling place on Election Day, Aug. 6, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

At Tuesday’s Houghton County Board meeting, Clerk Jennifer Kelly said preparations are underway for the county’s early voting center. County voters will be able to cast ballots in person at the Houghton City Center at 616 Shelden Ave. July 27 to Aug. 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I’ve been doing programming this week,” Kelly said. “Testing will begin shortly, so we encourage the public to come and see.”

The public accuracy test at the city center will be held 10 a.m. July 22 in the City Council chambers.

To find the early voting center for an address, go to mvic.sos.state.mi.us.