Election Day is fast approaching, but voting in the 2024 general election is well underway in Michigan. Absentee ballots were mailed out on September 26. Early voting started in Detroit on October 19 and opens statewide October 26.
Important Dates:
- September 21 deadline for military and overseas voters to request an absentee ballot to make sure it's early enough for overseas mailing times
- September 26 Absentee voter ballots available for voters in Michigan
- October 26 – November 3 Early in-person voting statewide
- October 22 – November 5 Voter registration must be done in person
- November 5 Election Day — polls close 8 p.m. local time
Absentee Voting
You can still request an absentee ballot. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, online and mail requests for an absentee ballot must be received by your township or city clerk no later than Friday, November 1, at 5 p.m. If you’re already registered at your current address, you can request an absent voter ballot in person at your clerk’s office anytime up to 4 p.m. Monday, November 4.
To return your absentee ballot, follow the directions so the ballot is properly placed into the secrecy sleeve and sealed in the official return envelope. It also needs to get turned in before the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5. You can:
- Take it to the post office by October 29. The U.S. Postal Service recommends taking your ballot directly to the post office at least one week before Election Day. You can sign up to track your ballot here.
- Drop it in the secure ballot drop box outside your clerk’s office. This can be done all the way up until polls close on November 5.
- Hand it to your clerk. This means you need to physically take your ballot up to the counter in your local clerk’s office.
- Go to your early voting location and run it through the tabulator. The bonus with this method is that you get an “I Voted” sticker!
If you still have your ballot in hand and you want to change your vote or made a mistake on the ballot, you can “spoil” your ballot up until polls close on Election Day. You can do this by visiting your election clerk.
Early Voting
Early in-person voting is open statewide Saturday October 26 - Sunday November 3, 2024. Michigan Public’s Kate Wells put together everything you need to know about how to vote early in person.
The early voting period must last a minimum of nine consecutive days and end on the Sunday before Election Day. Communities have the option of providing up to 28 days of early voting, which is why early voting started on October 19 for the city of Detroit.
Find your early voting polling place here. Your local clerk’s office will also have more information about where to vote early, as well as the hours for those locations.
You can arrange a free ride to the polls and early voting sites in a number of communities.
Election Day Voting
All registered Michigan voters can vote at their polling place on Election Day. Before you head out, check your voter registration status and make sure you’re not wearing campaign clothes or accessories like stickers, hats, pins, etc. By law, campaign-specific apparel or signs are not allowed into or within 100 feet of a polling location.
Unregistered voters and voters who need to update their registration to their current address must go to their local clerk’s office. There they can register and vote using an absentee ballot.
Photo ID is not required to vote in Michigan. But if you have one, you must present it by law. The photo ID does not need to list your address and can have a variation of your name. (ex: “Bill” instead of “William.”)
Those without a photo ID will need to sign an affidavit stating the voter “is not in possession of a valid photo ID.” Then a ballot is issued and counted as normal — and making a false affidavit could be prosecuted as perjury.
Free rides to the polls are being offered in some communities. Find out if your area is included and arrange a ride here. Some ridesharing apps are also offering discounted rates to and from voting locations.
Accessible Voting
Voters with a disability can get help completing their absentee ballot application, as long as the person helping is not their employer or an agent of their employer, and as long as they are not a union officer or agent. The assisting person has to include their information as specified on the absentee ballot application.
Voters with disabilities can also submit an accessible absentee ballot application online. The form is open until 5 p.m. November 1. The application must include either their driver's license or personal identification card number or the last four digits of their social security number so that the clerk can verify the application.
Then the voter will be emailed an electronic ballot and can mark the ballot on an electronic device, using their own assistive technology. The completed ballot needs to be printed out and returned to the voter's local clerk before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5, 2024.
For help with accessible voting, the state Bureau of Elections ombudsperson for accessible elections can help. To speak with the ombudsperson, call 517-335-2730.
Challenged and Provisional Ballots
A ballot is considered "challenged" or "provisional" when more information is needed from the voter to verify their eligibility to vote.
A provisional ballot may be issued if:
- Their name does not appear on the list at the polling place.
- They are at the wrong polling location.
- They are voting for the first time and are unable to provide a valid form of identification.
If you've cast a provisional ballot, you have 6 days to provide appropriate ID documentation to your city or township clerk.
Election challengers are election observers and have the right to challenge a voter's eligibility to vote at the polls.
Any challenge must be based on a good reason to suspect a violation of election law. Challengers may not issue a challenge just to delay the voting process. They may not base their challenge on a voter's race or appearance. They may not base it on political affiliation or the voter’s ballot selection.
Any legitimate challenge will be looked into by election workers and the local clerk. You may then have to confirm certain information to verify your eligibility under oath. If you do, you will be issued a ballot that is marked as "challenged." You might need to take additional steps after voting to verify your eligibility. In that case, you will be contacted by your local clerk with instructions.
If you refuse to take the oath or answer questions designed to verify eligibility, the challenge is accepted, and you won't be able to cast a ballot.
Related coverage:
What to expect in Michigan on Election Day
Combating concerns of voting fraud and ballot security in Michigan
