Absentee voting is open in Michigan: How to vote early
The midterm elections are in 40 days. That means Michigan voters will start receiving and mailing in their absentee ballots starting Thursday.
Positions up for election this fall include Michigan’s top three statewide offices — governor, attorney general, and secretary of state — as well as two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court, the state’s congressional delegation, all seats in the state legislature, and university seats K-12 School Boards and more. Voters also have an opportunity to weigh voting policies related to term limits and financial disclosures to state legislatures, voting rights and abortion rights.
Employees have already begun sending mail-in ballots to Michigan’s military and overseas voters. For those at home who have already requested a postal vote, you can expect yours in the mail soon. For others who wish to vote by mail, the process of applying for a vote by mail is straightforward.
Election officials recommend applying for absentee ballots well in advance to ensure you get them in time to fill out and ensure it gets to your local clerk by 8pm on November 8. We have compiled answers to frequently asked questions about the procedure.
More:A Guide to Michigan Voting Rights: What you need to know before you vote
More:The abortion law amendment made Michigan’s ballot. Here’s exactly what it says
Who Can Cast a Postal Vote in Michigan?
If you are a registered voter in Michigan, you have the right to cast a ballot by mail.
Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 that allows all voters in the state to cast a ballot-by-mail for any reason. Nearly 60% of Michigan voters cast ballots by mail in the state’s last general election, and voting by mail has remained a popular option among voters ever since.
How can I request a postal vote?
You can request a postal vote online, by post or in person.
Online application for postal voting: You can apply to vote by mail online before 5:00 p.m. on November 4 (Friday before Election Day) if you have a Michigan driver’s license or ID card. Visit https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/AVApplication/Index to complete the online absentee ballot application. Election officials are recommending voters to apply online to vote by mail at least 14 days before Election Day (by October 25) to avoid delays in the mail. Your local employee must receive your request for mailing of a ballot by November 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Applying for a postal vote by post: You can also request a postal vote by downloading and completing the postal vote application form. You can send your completed absentee ballot application by post or hand it in to your local clerk. You can also call your local caseworker to request that an application be mailed to you. The absentee ballot application form can be downloaded from https://www.michigan.gov/sos/all-services/absentee-ballot by clicking on the absentee ballot application. Election officials recommend submitting a mail-in ballot application to your local office at least 14 days before Election Day (by October 25) to avoid delays in the mail. Your local employee must receive your request for mailing of a ballot by November 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Personal application for postal voting: Starting Thursday — 40 days before the November 8 midterm election — you can go to your local secretariat to request a postal vote. Local Elections Officials must be available during regular business hours and at least eight hours on the Saturday and/or Sunday immediately prior to Election Day to issue and receive absentee ballots. Voters have until 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day (November 7) to receive a postal ballot in person at their local secretary’s office. To avoid delays in the mail, election officials recommend applying for a postal vote in person within two weeks of Election Day.
How do I find out where my local office is located and how do I contact my local office?
You can look up the address and hours of operation of your local office and any satellite locations they have set up to register voters and issue and receive ballot-by-mail records by going to https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us and going to Where are my offices?” and enter the address where you are registered to vote.
The page also contains contact information for your local case worker’s office.
When and how do I have to return my voting card?
You can cast your absentee vote through a mailbox in the municipality where you are registered as a voter, by post or in person at your local secretariat. Ballots must be received by your local clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 8th. This means you must drop them off in a mailbox or in person, or if you are mailing your ballot in the mail, it must arrive at your local secretary by the deadline. Ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive after the 8:00 p.m. deadline will not be counted.
You can find out where the ballot boxes are located in your country by visiting https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Home/Index and clicking on “Where are my ballot boxes?”. and enter the address where you are registered to vote.
You can also put your voting card in a mailbox. To avoid possible delays, election officials recommend sending absentee ballots at least 14 days before Election Day (by October 25) and delivering them in person after that time.
And don’t forget to sign the return envelope in the space provided!
How do I know if my voting card will be counted after I return it?
You can track your absentee voting by visiting https://mvic.sos/state.mi.us/Home/Index, clicking on “Your Voter Information” and entering basic information to see when your absentee ballot application was received and your ballot has been sent and your ballot has been received.
What if I received a postal vote but decide I actually want to vote in person? What if I’ve already returned my voting card but want to change my vote?
If you’ve already applied for and received an absentee ballot, but decide to vote in person instead, you can take your absentee ballot to your polling station on election day and spoil it. If you have lost your ballot or it has been destroyed, you can sign a declaration and vote at your polling station.
If you’ve already returned a completed mail-in ballot, you can spoil it and request a new one before Election Day. All you need to do is submit a written, signed and dated application to your local clerk. Once you know you want to spoil your ballot, it’s a good idea to apply early to give yourself enough time to get a new one.
- Local employees must receive a written and signed request by 5:00 p.m. on November 4 from voters wishing to spoil their ballot and receive a new one in the mail.
- Voters who have already returned their absentee ballots must submit a written request to have their ballots destroyed by 10:00 am on November 7 in person and obtain a new one from the local Clerk’s Office.
- Voters who have not returned their ballot must submit a written request in person by 4:00 p.m. on November 7 to have their ballot falsified and receive a new one at their local clerk’s office.
You can only vote once in an election. If your secretary has already received your absentee ballot and you show up at your polling station on election day, you will not be issued a ballot.
Help! I was planning to vote in person, but an emergency has arisen and I cannot go to my polling station on election day. Can I still cast a postal vote?
Under Michigan law, if you have a physical disability or a death or illness in the family makes it impossible for you to vote in person on Election Day, you may request an “emergency” absentee ballot. To qualify, the emergency must have occurred at a time that made it impossible for you to request a postal vote by the 5:00 p.m. deadline of November 4.
Contact your local officer to request an emergency vote after this time but before 4pm on November 8th.
Emergency absentee ballots must be received by your local secretariat by 8:00 p.m. on November 8th.
How do I register to vote?
You may register to vote up to and including Election Day if you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age at the time of voting, a resident of Michigan at the time of registration and a resident of your city for at least 30 days at the time of registration or community resident is voting.
If you are currently serving a custodial sentence or prison sentence, you are not eligible to vote. You can still vote if you’re in prison and haven’t been convicted.
You can register in person at your responsible registry office at any time up to 8 November at 8:00 p.m. If you prefer to register online you must submit your application by October 24th and if submitting an application by post it must be postmarked by that date.
You can register at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/registervoter to vote online. And you can find the voter registration form at https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/upcoming-election-information/voters under “Voter Registration”.
From October 25th until November 8th at 8pm you have to register to vote in person.
Clara Hendrickson is a Corps member with Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project, reviews facts and politics in Michigan. Support their work with a tax-deductible contribution at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact her at [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.