Public Interest Research Group
in Michigan Education Fund

Voting Information
Registration || Voting || Absentee Ballots

Registration:

To register to vote in Michigan you must be . . .

  • A U.S. citizen
  • At least 18 years of age by Election Day
  • A resident of Michigan and the city or township where you are applying to register to vote

You can register to vote for federal, state and local elections at:

  • Your county, city or township clerk's office
  • Any of the 178 Secretary of State branch offices located throughout the state.

In addition, specified agencies providing services through the Family Independence Agency, the Department of Community Health, and the Michigan Jobs Commission offer voter registration services to their clients. Military recruitment centers also provide voter registration.

~ You must register at least 30 days before the election. This gives the clerk time to process the forms and send you a Voter Identification Card.

~ Whenever you move to a new city or township, you must re-register to vote.

~ If you move within a city or township, you must update your address. You can do this through your local clerk, at your polling place on Election Day, at a Secretary of State branch office, or by mail.

~ A mail-in voter registration form can be obtained by contacting your county or local clerk's office. If you register by mail, you must vote in person at your assigned precinct the first time you vote, unless you are:

  • Disabled as defined by state law,
  • 60 years of age or older,
  • Temporarily residing overseas.

~ If you are temporarily outside the U.S., you may use a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) form to register. FPCA forms are distributed through U.S. embassies and military bases. A Michigan resident who moves and registers out of state may not re-register to vote in Michigan until he or she reestablishes residency here.

~ You may also register at the same time you renew your driver license by mail. Eligible drivers receive a voter registration application in the mail with their driver license renewal information.

Voting:

To vote, simply appear at your assigned polling place on Election Day. The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Where is my assigned polling place?
All Voter Identification Cards list a precinct number; some provide the polling place location. If you do not receive a Voter Identification Card within three weeks after registering, contact your city or township clerk's office to confirm your registration status.

Absentee Ballots:

Absent voter ballots are available for all elections. If you wish to vote absentee, you must be registered and must provide one of the following reasons:

1.) You are age 60 years old or older
2.) You are unable to vote without assistance at the polls
3.) You are expecting to be out of town on election day
4.) You are in jail awaiting arraignment or trial
5.) You are unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons
6.) You are appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.

For any one of those reasons, you can obtain an absent voter ballot by writing to your city or township clerk. You must state the reason why you need an absent voter ballot and you must sign the request. A pre-printed absent voter ballot application form is available from your city or township clerk upon request.

If you are temporarily outside the U.S., you can use a Federal Postcard Application to apply for an absent voter ballot. The FPCA must be signed under oath unless you, your spouse or your parents are serving in the armed forces or Merchant Marines.

Send the completed application to your city or township clerk for federal, state and city/township elections. (Send the application to your school district for school elections and your village clerk for village elections.)

If you want the ballot mailed, your application must be received by 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election. Make your request early to allow for delivery time.

A voter eligible to vote by absent voter ballot may also vote in person at the clerk's office anytime up to 4 p.m. the day before the election.

All absent voter ballots must be received by the clerk's office not later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.

A separate absent voter ballot request must be submitted for each election. If you know before the primary that you will be unable to vote in person at the general election, you may request absent voter ballots for both elections at the same time.

Source:
Michigan Department of State Bureau of Elections
P.O. Box 20126
Lansing, Michigan 48901-0726
Phone: (517) 373-2540
Fax: (517) 373-0941
http://www.sos.state.mi.us/election/elect.html