8 Questions and Answers about the (Confusing) Michigan Primary

1. Why did Michigan change its primary date from Feb. 26 to Jan. 15?
Michigan’s legislature set the Jan. 15 primary deadline for the same reason any state front-loads its contest: to gain greater influence over the presidential nominating process. When she signed the bill in September that set the Jan. 15 primary, Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm said Michigan’s electorate “deserves a primary process that requires candidates to address the issues they will be held accountable for in the general election.”
“The January 15th primary in Michigan accomplishes precisely this goal,” she said.
2. What are the consequences of the new primary date?

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