Voting & Elections
Registering and Voting in Michigan
Before you can vote in any election, you must be registered. Once you have registered you may exercise your right to vote, either by appearing at the polls or obtaining an absent voter ballot. The procedures for registering to vote and participating in elections are explained in this brochure.
Citizen participation in the electoral process is critical to the health of our Democracy. Do your part: Register and Vote!
To Register:
To register to vote 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.
Where. You can register to vote for federal, state, and local elections by mail; at your county, city, or township clerk’s office; or by visiting any Secretary of State branch office. In addition, specified agencies providing services through the Family Independence Agency, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Career Development offer voter registration services to their clients. Military recruitment centers also provide voter registration services.
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. This can be handled through your local clerk, at a Secretary of State branch office, or by mail. Michigan voters must use the same residential address for voter registration and driver license purposes. Consequently, if you submit a driver license address change, it will be applied to your voter registration. Similarly, if you submit a voter registration address change, it will be applied to your driver license.
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. The 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.’
To Vote:
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. 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.
Absent Voter Ballots:
Absent voter ballots are available for all elections. You may vote by absent voter ballot if:
- you are unable to attend the polls without assistance; or you are 60 years of age or older;
- you expect to be absent from your city or township for the entire time the polls are open on election day;
- you are in jail, awaiting arraignment or trial;
- you have been assigned to work as a precinct inspector in a precinct other than where you are registered; or
Voter Registration:
Who may vote?
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old by election day
- A resident of Michigan and the city or township where you are applying to vote.
When May I register to Vote:
At any time, however, you must register at least 30 days before an election in order to vote in that election.
Do I have to register for each election?
NO. Registration is permanent as long as you continue to live in the city or township where you are registered.
You may register by appearing in person at:
- Any of the 178 Secretary of State branch offices through the State.
- Your city or township clerk’s office.
- Your county clerk’s office.
- Any Family Independence Agency Office.
- Specified agencies providing services through the FIA, Department of Community Health, or Michigan Jobs Commission that offer voter registration services to their clients.
May I register to Vote by Mail?
YES. Individuals who register to vote by mail must vote in person in the first election following their registration.
What should I do if I have moved within my city or township of residence or changed my name since the last election?
You should immediately notify the clerk of your city or township of your residence.
What should I do if I move to another city or township within the state?
You must re-register with the clerk in your new city or township of residence.
Absentee Voting
Can I vote by absentee ballot?
If you are a registered voter, you may vote absentee if:
- You are 60 years of age or more.
- You expect to be absent from the community in which you are registered to vote for the entire time the polls are open on election day.
- You are unable to go to the polls and vote without the assistance of another person
- You cannot attend the polls because of your religious beliefs.
- You have been appointed as an election inspector in a precinct other than the one in which you reside.
- You are confined in jail or prison awaiting arraignment or trial.
How do I receive the ballot?
You can obtain an absent voter ballot by writing to the clerk of the city or township in which you are registered to vote. Ballots cannot be supplied through telephone requests. Your written request must include:
- Your Name
- The date of the election.
- The address where you are registered to vote.
- The reason why you are requesting an absent voter ballot
- The address where you wish to receive your ballot. (This must be your registration address, an address outside of your jurisdiction of registration, a hospital, or some other type of residential institution.)
- You are confined in jail or prison awaiting arraignment or trial.
Blank absent voter ballot applications can be obtained through your city or township clerk. Members of the armed forces and their spouses and dependents, members of the Merchant Marine and their spouses and dependents, and U.S. citizens temporarily living or traveling outside the territorial limits of the United States may use a Federal Post Card Application to obtain an absent voter ballot. U.S. Citizens temporarily living or traveling outside of the territorial limits of the United States must sign the Federal Post Card Application under oath to obtain an absent voter ballot. Anyone else eligible to use the federal form is not required to sign it under oath to obtain an absent voter ballot.
What is the application deadline for any election?
If you wish to receive an absent voter ballot for any election by mail, your application for the ballot must be received by your city or township clerk by 2:00 p.m., the Saturday before the election. If you are qualified to receive an absent voter ballot for an election, you also have the option of voting in your city or township clerk’s office any time up to 4:00 p.m., the day before the election.
When must the ballot be returned?
Your completed absent voter ballot must be received by your city or township clerk’s office no later than 8:00 p.m. on the date of the election.
Voting Procedure
Where do I vote?
- If you do not know the location of your polling place, check with your city or township clerk.
- If you have access to the Web, go to https://www.michigan.gov/vote. This will tell you if and where you are registered and has other links.
When are the polls open?
In Michigan the polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on election day
What is the voting procedure?
The procedure involves 3 steps:
- You sign an Application to Vote.
- An election inspector checks your name against the list of registered voters for the precinct.
- You Vote.
Procedures vary according to the type of equipment used in your city or township. Poll workers will provide information on voting procedures if you request it before you enter the voting station. Poll workers are not allowed to tell you how to vote, nor may they attempt to influence your vote in any way.
What should I do if my name does not appear on the list of registered voters at my polling place?
Answer any questions the election inspectors may ask in attempting to confirm your registration, contact your city or township clerk.
May I receive assistance when voting?
Any elector may request voting assistance from the precinct board without stating a reason, in which case two inspectors (one from each political party), will render assistance. If you need assistance because you re blind, disabled or unable to read or write, you may ask anyone (except your employer, an agent of your employer or an officer or agent of your union) to give you assistance.
May I take campaign literature into the polling place?
Yes, as long as the articles are for your personal use and you do not distribute or display them to other voters in the polling place. In addition, you may not leave any materials in the polling place.
For more detailed voter registration/election information, please go to:
