Michigan

Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM local time on Election Day. Most of Michigan is in the Eastern Time Zone. Four counties in the western Upper Peninsula (Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee) are in the Central Time Zone. Anyone in line at 8 PM must be allowed to vote.

If registered to vote where you live:

Vote at your assigned polling place or an Election Day Vote Center (if available where you live). Find your polling place/Election Day Vote Center: 

• Online at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index.

• Check your Voter Identification Card or Registration Receipt.

• Call your city or township clerk.  Find phone number here: Your voter information  

If not registered to vote where you live:  

Register at your city or township clerk’s office (or Election Day Vote Center, if available where you live) with proof of residency by 8 PM on Election Day. Once registered: 

• Obtain an absentee ballot, complete it, and return it at the clerk’s office immediately after registering (if you are at an Election Day Vote Center, you will be able to vote a regular ballot that you insert directly into the tabulator immediately after registering); or

• Go to your new polling location with your new voter registration receipt and vote a regular ballot if you will arrive before 8 PM.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Michigan if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Michigan
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in Michigan if:

• You are in prison or jail for a conviction of any kind. (Does not include pre-trial detention.)

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You may preregister to vote in Michigan

• at the age 16

How to register 

• Michigan Congressional, State and Gubernatorial General Election
  • Post Received by Mon Oct 19, 2026
  • Apply Online: Online by Mon Oct 19, 2026
  • In-Person Request by Tue Nov 3, 2026

You are eligible to register to vote in Michigan if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen;
• Have been a resident of your city or township in MI for at least 30 days (or will be by Election Day);
• Are at least 17.5 years old and will be 18 by Election Day; and
• Are not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison.

Because Michigan has automatic voter registration, you should check your voter registration status often, as you may have been automatically registered or had your registration updated.

Michigan also offers pre-registration for Michiganders who meet the requirements above but are between 16 and 17.5 years of age. An eligible Michigander can pre-register using one of the methods below and will automatically become a registered voter when they turn 17.5 years old.

If registering more than 14 days before Election Day:

• Register Online at Michigan Online Voter Registration (must have a MI driver’s license or MI state ID).

• Submit Paper Application by Mail, Email, or Dropbox: 
  • Download an application at ED-121: Michigan Voter Registration Application and Change of Address Form.  Or call your city or township clerk and have them mail you an application.  Find phone number here: Your voter information.
  • Return the completed application by mail or email to your clerk’s office. Or insert it in a secure dropbox in your city or township. Find dropbox locations here: Your voter information.  
  • First time Michigan voters who submit applications by mail must include ID: (1) MI driver’s license or state ID number on the application, or (2) last four digits of SSN on the application, or (3) include a copy of government document showing name and current address with the application.

• Register at a Voter Registration Drive: Complete a paper or online application through a voter registration drive.

• Register In Person:  Register to vote at any Secretary of State branch office, state agency that provides public assistance or services to people with disabilities, or your city, township, or county clerk’s office. Find your clerk’s address and hours here: Your voter information.

If registering within 14 days before Election Day or on Election Day: 

• Must Register In Person at City/Twp Clerk’s Office:  Register at your city or township clerk’s office. Find your clerk’s address and hours here: Your voter information. You must present proof of residency (a paper or electronic document showing your name and current address, such as a Michigan driver’s license, utility bill, or bank statement).

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail
• By Email
• Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Michigan Congressional, State and Gubernatorial General Election

Ballot Request:

• Request to Receive Blank Ballot by Mail Received by Fri Oct 30, 2026 5:00PM
• In-Person Request by Mon Nov 2, 2026 4:00PM
• Emergency Ballot Request by Tue Nov 3, 2026 4:00PM

Ballot Return:

• Received by Tue Nov 3, 2026 8:00PM

Early Voting

If you are a registered voter in Michigan, you may vote early in person starting the second Saturday before Election Day through the Sunday before Election Day at an early voting site offered for your community. Find locations/hours for Early Voting here: Your voter information.

Voting by Absentee Ballot

All registered Michigan voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot.

Obtaining an Absentee Ballot:

You can obtain an absentee ballot by:

• Permanent Mail Ballot List:  If you signed up for this list since May 2023, you should automatically receive an absentee ballot in the mail.  Check your PMBL status here:  mi.gov/vote.  If you are not on this list and want to be, check the box on the absentee ballot application requesting absentee ballots for “each future election”.

• Online (until 5 PM the Friday before Election Day): You can request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you here: Michigan Online Absent Voter Ballot Application.  Provide the last four digits of your SSN. Voters with print disabilities may request an accessible electronic absent voter ballot here: Accessible Ballot for Voters with Disabilities. 

• Submit a Printed Ballot Application by Mail, Email, or Dropbox (until 5 PM the Friday before Election Day): Obtain a printed absentee ballot application (download here) or ask your city or township clerk to mail you one (find phone number here: Your voter information). Return application to the clerk’s office by mail, email, or secure dropbox in your city or township. Find dropbox locations here: Your voter information. 

• In Person: 
  • Registered voters may obtain an absentee ballot at their city or township clerk’s office beginning 40 days before Election Day through 4 PM the Monday before Election Day. You may complete and return the ballot at the clerk’s office or take it home and return it by mail, email, or secure dropbox in your city or township. Find dropbox locations here: Your voter information.
  • Unregistered voters or voters who need to update their registration address may register to vote and obtain an absentee ballot at their city or township clerk’s office through 8 PM on Election Day. You may complete and return the ballot at the clerk’s office by that deadline.

Returning an Absentee Ballot     

Absentee ballots (including accessible absentee ballots) must be received by your city or township clerk by 8 PM on Election Day. You can return absentee ballots:

• By mail to your city or township clerk’s office.

• To a secure dropbox provided by your city or township clerk. Find locations here: Your voter information. 

• In person at your city or township clerk’s office.  Find locations here: Your voter information. 

• At an early voting site. Find locations and hours here Your voter information. 

• At your regular polling place on Election Day. (Not available to voters in the City of Detroit.)

Military/Overseas Voters

Registered voters in the military or living abroad may obtain an absentee ballot (and update their registration information if necessary) by completing and returning this form to your city or township clerk:  Standard Form 76, “Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)”.  For more information on military/overseas voting in Michigan elections, see If You Are in the Military or Are an Overseas Voter box below. 

Absentee Ballot Tracking 

You can track the status of your absentee ballot application and the ballot itself here:  https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index/.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Michigan you should provide one of the following:

• Your Michigan Driver’s License Number
• Your Michigan ID Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you are registering for the first time by mail and can not be identified by the ID information you provided, you will need to provide proof of residence. Acceptable forms of proof of residence include:

• Current and Valid Photo ID
• Valid Michigan Driver’s License except one issued to an individual that is not a United States citizen
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
• Michigan Personal ID
• Current Utility Bill or Pay Check or Bank Statement

You can alternatively show one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration. The identification requirement does not apply if you personally hand deliver the registration form to your clerk’s office, are disabled or eligible to vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Voting Act.

Voting In-Person

If you are registered to vote in Michigan, you are required to show a photo ID to vote; or, you may instead sign an affidavit or similar document. Accepted forms of ID include:

• Valid Michigan Driver’s License
• Michigan Personal ID

If you do not have an ID from the above list, in Michigan additional, acceptable forms of ID include:

• Valid US Passport
• Out of State Personal ID
• Valid Military ID
• Valid Federal Issued ID
• Valid Student ID
• Out of State Driver’s License or Non-driver ID
• Valid ID Issued by another State
• Valid Tribal ID

ID for Voting in Person  

Photo ID is not required to vote, but bringing one when you go to vote in person will make the process easier for you and the election inspectors. If you do not have a valid photo ID, you can sign a form verifying your identity and then vote. However, your qualifications to vote still might be challenged.

ID for Voting from Home  

If you have voted in Michigan before or provided ID when you registered, you don’t need to provide a photo ID to vote from home. Instead, your identity is verified in other ways, including through verifying your signature. 

ID for First Time Michigan Voters 

If you have not voted in Michigan and you registered to vote through the mail or a voter registration drive and did not provide ID when you registered (e.g. your DL/ID number, last four digits of your SSN or a copy of your photo ID), you need to provide identification to cast a vote (either in person or by absentee ballot). Electronic or paper copies of any of the following will work:

• Photo ID with your name and picture (regardless of the address or if it has an address):
  • Driver’s license or personal ID card from any state
  • High school or college ID 
  • Passport
  • Military or federal, state or local government-issued photo ID or
  •  Tribal ID card with photo.

• A non-photo ID showing your name and address:
  • Utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Paycheck stub
  • Government check or
  • Any other government document.

ID and Provisional Ballots  

If you are not on the voter registration list where you vote in person, and do not present sufficient identification and/or residency documents, the election inspector may not be able to verify your right to vote at that location. If that happens, you should nevertheless be allowed to complete a provisional ballot. That ballot will be set aside and not counted unless, within 6 days after Election Day, you present the clerk’s office with documents proving your identity and residence.

You moved within the Same City or Township:

If you moved within the same city or township where you are registered, you may vote at your old polling place one last time (the election inspector will invite you to complete an Election Day Change of Address Notice).  Alternatively, you may update your voter registration address and then vote at the polling place for your new address. (Remember, if you are attempting to make changes to your voter registration within 14 days of Election Day, you must do so at your city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency!)

You moved to a Different City or Township:

• More than 60 days before Election Day:  You must register to vote at your new address.

• Between 60 and 30 days before Election Day:  You may vote either in person or by absentee ballot in your old city or township one last time after signing an affidavit stating that the move has taken place.  Or you may vote at your new polling place after updating your registration address. 

• Less than 30 days before Election Day:  You must vote in your old city or township because you do not meet the 30-day residency requirement to register and vote at your new address.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voter Registration Options:

• Send your city or township clerk a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Standard Form 76, “Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)”).  (This also alerts the clerk to send you absentee ballots).  

• Register online at Michigan Online Voter Registration (must have a MI driver’s license/state ID).

• Download and complete a registration application at ED-121: Michigan Voter Registration Application and Change of Address Form. Return application to your city or township clerk. Clerk contact information: Your voter information.

Absentee Voting Options:

• Military/overseas voters who register to vote using the FPCA automatically receive absentee ballots by the method chosen in the application – mail, fax, or email.  Return completed ballots to your city or township clerk by postal mail. 

• Non-FPCA military/overseas voters who have a MI driver’s license or state ID can request an absentee ballot online at Michigan Online Absent Voter Ballot Application. You may receive voting materials by fax, email, or postal service. Return completed ballots to your city or township clerk by postal mail.

• Military/overseas voters who do not receive their absentee ballot in time to return it to the clerk by the deadline (see below) can complete a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot online at https://www.fvap.gov/fwab-privacy-notice or download Standard Form 186, Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) and return it via postal mail to their city or township clerk’s office. 

• Members of a uniformed service on active duty or the merchant marine abroad who will not return before Election Day can return their ballots electronically.  Eligible voters must provide Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) information on their absentee ballot application or FPCA. 

Absentee Ballot Deadlines: 

• Absentee ballots may be requested at any time until 5 PM the Friday before Election Day, but should be requested early enough to allow for both delivery to you and timely return to the clerk. 

• Absentee ballots must be sent to military/overseas registered voters 45 days before Election Day.  

• Completed absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the voter’s city or township clerk within 6 days of Election Day.

• Members of a uniformed service on active duty or members of the merchant marine who are absent from the United States and will not return before Election Day can return their ballots electronically by 8 PM local time on Election Day.  

For more information on military/overseas voting in Michigan elections, see: https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/States/michigan.pdf 

A person with a criminal conviction can register and vote if they are not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison.

If a formerly incarcerated person was registered to vote before incarceration, their right to vote will automatically be restored upon release. 

See Restore Your Vote: I have a felony conviction. Can I vote? | Campaign Legal Center for further information.