13abc.com: Breaking News, Weather and SportsMich. Republicans happy with earlier primary date

Michigan voters head to the polls next Tuesday, but the Republican presidential primary ballot has a lot of names on it. In fact, some of the candidates aren't even in the race!

Michigan wanted to hold its primary before Super Tuesday. Now it's paying the penalty. Normally, Michigan votes in the Super Tuesday primary, but this year Republicans wanted to move up in the process.

Chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party Jason Sheppard says, "The earlier on that you could do it, the more you get traffic from the candidates, the more you get some excitement into the state." 

Last week, native son Mitt Romney held a campaign event at a business in Monroe. Rick Santorum had several stops in Michigan planned Monday.

The state has a cluttered ballot this year. There are 11 presidential candidates listed.

The ballot includes Romney, Santorum, Gingrich and Paul, but also people who've dropped out of the race, like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry. There are also some less familiar names, like Gary Johnson, Fred Karger and Buddy Roemer.

In the end, no matter how many votes any of these candidates get, Michigan is being penalized by the national party for moving its primary ahead of Super Tuesday.

Michigan's 60 delegates will be cut to just 30 at the convention in August.

Still, Michigan Republicans say it's worth it. Not only have Romney and Santorum been to the state, but Gingrich signaled he will campaign in Michigan before the primary next Tuesday.

"That would not have happened otherwise," Sheppard says. "We see things tightening up. It's going to be an interesting state primary."  

The vote will be a closed primary, which means voters have to declare as a Republican they can cast a ballot.