A Student’s Guide to Voting in Michigan
Editor’s note: Since they took control of the state government in 2010, Republicans in our state legislature and executive branch have made voting for students unnecessarily difficult and complex. That’s a feature for them, not a bug. I asked Barb to explain the process so that students living in Michigan have all of the facts on how they can vote in Michigan elections.
A PDF version of this post is available for download by clicking HERE.
By Barb Byrum, Ingham County Clerk
January 2020
Registering to Vote
- Check your voter registration status here
- Register to vote by completing this form and signing it
- Submit the form to your local clerk. Follow this link to find your local or county clerk
- Please note: if it is within two weeks of Election Day, you must register to vote in person with your local city or township clerk
- Online Voter Registration if you have a valid Michigan Driver’s License or State ID
Step 2:
Requesting an Absent Voter Ballot to Vote by Mail or Going to the Polls on Election Day
Requesting an Absent Voter Ballot:
The easiest way to vote is to vote by mail, which is commonly called absentee voting in Michigan. To do this:
The easiest way to vote is to vote by mail, which is commonly called absentee voting in Michigan. To do this:
- You must request an absentee ballot for each election, and you may do so by completing the following form.
- To be proactive, you could request to be added to your local clerk’s Permanent Absent Voter Ballot List, so that you will be sent an application for an absent voter ballot for each election.
- Absentee ballots are available 45 days before every election. If you are registered to vote, you can request a ballot be mailed to you until the Friday before the election at 5 p.m., or a ballot in-person at your city or township clerk’s office until 4 p.m. on the Monday before the election.
- Once you receive your ballot in the mail, make sure you fill it out and return it quickly, as it takes nearly a week for mail to arrive, and completed ballots must be in the possession of your local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.
- In most cases, you can also drop your ballot off at your local clerk’s office in person until Election Day.
- You can also check the status of your absent voter ballot here.
Voting In Person at the Polls on Election Day:
If you would prefer to go to the polls on Election Day, make a plan to be sure that you know where your voting precinct is and have enough time to exercise your right to vote. Keep in mind that, if you are not already registered to vote, you must register at your local clerk’s office, not at the voting CONTINUE READING: A Student's Guide to Voting in Michigan | Eclectablog
If you would prefer to go to the polls on Election Day, make a plan to be sure that you know where your voting precinct is and have enough time to exercise your right to vote. Keep in mind that, if you are not already registered to vote, you must register at your local clerk’s office, not at the voting CONTINUE READING: A Student's Guide to Voting in Michigan | Eclectablog