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Politics & Government

5 Things to Know About the Presidential Primary

From voting precincts to information about absentee ballots and more, here's what you need to know before Tuesday's election.

The presidential primary is just days away — are you ready?

Here are five things to know about the election:

  1. When: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday.
  2. Where: Your local precinct polling site.
  3. Absentee voting: Available at your municipal building by 4 p.m. Monday, or by mail if ballot was requested. As of Tuesday, 3,067 absentee ballots had been issued in Royal Oak, 1,914 of which had already been returned. Ballots must be returned to the by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
  4. Party choice: Any registered voter can vote in either party's presidential primary (President Obama is the only Democratic choice, aside from "Uncommitted.") , each voter's choice of party — not private candidate preference — remains on a public record in Lansing for 22 months. The choice has no bearing on how anyone can vote in the general election Nov. 6.
  5. Republican delegates: Thirty will be allocated according to each candidate's proportional share of votes. To be nominated at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 29 in Tampa, a candidate needs 1,114 delegates. So far, Romney has 105 delegates; Rick Santorum, 71; Newt Gingrich, 29; and Ron Paul, 18.

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