Michigan Voting Rights
To register to vote more than 2 weeks before the Election:
To register within 15 days before the Election, you must register in person at the clerk's office with proof of residency.
Proof of residency is
- driver's license or personal ID card,
- or any of the following (if proof is current and has your name and address on it) current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or government document (electronic is ok).
No Reason Absentee Voting
- Apply for an Absentee Ballot online or by downloading an application at www.michigan.gov/vote or in person at your local or County Clerk office, or the Secretary of State Office.
- When you receive your Absentee Ballot, either in person or in the mail, mark your ballot. Don't forget your signature on the envelope (or your vote won't be counted). Signature must match the signature on the absentee ballot application.
- Make sure your Ballot is received in the Clerk's office before 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can mail your Absentee Ballot or drop it off at your local clerk's office or an officially designated Drop Box. Allow up to two weeks for delivery if you mail your ballot.
- Military and overseas voters have an additional six days after Election Day to have their ballots received by the clerk's office.
Permanent Absentee Ballot Voter List
Voters can sign up for the "Permanent Mail Ballot List" to receive their ballot by mail for ALL future elections. If you sign up for this list, you do not have to submit another application before each election - the ballot will automatically be sent to you. You need to complete an application for the Permanent Mail Ballot List and return it to your city or township clerk in order to receive your absentee ballot. Also, you can join the list when you receive your next absentee ballot application - just check the box saying that you would like to automatically receive an absentee ballot for each future election that you vote in.
Voting in Person before Election Day
City and townships must offer at least eight (8) hours a day for nine (9) days before any STATE or NATIONAL election. (It is not required for local elections.) This gives voters an opportunity to experience in-person voting (just like on Election Day) . The Early Voting period begins the second Saturday before an election and ends on the Sunday before Election Day. Check with your city, township or county clerk to learn the location and times of early voting in your area. This option is very helpful for people whose work schedule makes it difficult for them to vote in person on Election Day.
Voters also have the option of taking their absentee ballot to the polling location on an Early Voting Day. Voters are able to feed their absentee ballot into the tabulator at the polling site. This enables voters to spend time at home studying the candidates and issues, then experiencing in-person voting at the Early Voting site.