Michigan

Election Day: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM local time on Election Day, or until the last person in line at 8 PM has voted.

In Person Before Election Day: Registered voters may vote in person at their city or township clerk’s office until 4 PM on November 7 (the day before Election Day). 

From Home Before Election Day: Voters may drop off their absentee ballot at their city or township clerk’s office or a secure drop box provided by their clerk by 8 PM on Election Day, or they may mail in their absentee ballot as long as it is received by their city or township clerk by 8 PM on Election Day.  Information about city and township clerks and drop box locations and hours can be found under the “Your Clerk” tab at www.mi.gov/vote.

How to Find Your Polling Place: Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at this link to locate your polling place.

Prior to October 25, Michigan residents may register to vote at their  city or township clerk’s office or their county clerk’s office, online (with a valid Michigan driver’s license or state ID), at a Michigan Secretary of State Branch Office, at any state agency that provides public assistance or services to people with disabilities, by mailing in a completed voter registration application postmarked no later than October 24, or through a voter registration drive.

Beginning on October 25 through 8 PM on Election Day, voters may only register to vote in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency. Proof of residency is a document that includes the voter’s name and current address. Paper or electronic copies of any of the following documents will work:

• A Michigan driver’s license or state ID card;
• A utility bill;
• A bank statement;
• A paycheck;
• A government check; or,
• Any other government document.

Students from Michigan attending school in Michigan can register to vote at their school or their home address in Michigan.  Students from Michigan attending school outside of Michigan can register to vote at their home address in Michigan.  Students who are not from Michigan but are attending school in Michigan can register to vote at their school address in Michigan. If you have a Michigan driver’s license or state ID card, and you are registered to vote in Michigan, your voter registration address and the address on your ID will be the same.

If you change the address on one, it will automatically change the other. The Secretary of State will mail you a sticker with your new address to place on your license or ID card.

Michigan residents can check their registration status at the Michigan Voter Information Center at this link.

All registered voters in Michigan can vote before Election Day using an absentee ballot, either from home or in person at their city or township clerk’s office.

How to Request an Absentee Ballot: 

At least 75 days prior to each election, voters can print and submit an application for an absentee ballot from the Michigan Voter Information Center at this link. Alternatively, they can call their city or township clerk and ask that an application be mailed to them. They may also use any application for an absentee ballot provided to them by the Secretary of State, their clerk, a political party or another organization.  

If they have a current Michigan driver’s license or state ID, they can complete your application online at the Michigan Voter Information Center at this link.

The voter should submit an application for an absentee ballot as soon as possible, and if the date is after October 24, it is recommended to vote in-person rather than by mail to ensure that the vote gets in on time.

How to Return the Completed Absentee Ballot:

The voter should fill out the ballot, place it in the envelope provided, and sign the outside of the envelope with the voter’s official signature. 

The voter’s completed absentee ballot must be received by their city or township clerk by 8 PM on Election Day. If the voter is going to mail the ballot, the state of Michigan recommends that the voter do so by October 24, 2022.  Voters may also return their completed absentee ballots to their city or township clerk’s office or to a secure drop box provided by their clerk by 8 PM on Election Day.

If this is the voter’s first time voting in Michigan and the voter registered to vote through the mail or a voter registration drive, the voter may need to provide some documentation to their local clerk before voting absentee. Electronic or paper copies of any of the following will work:

• Photo ID with the voter’s 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 government-issued photo ID; or
  • Tribal ID card with photo.

• A non-photo ID with the voter’s name and address on it:
  • Current utility bill;
  • Bank statement;
  • Paycheck stub;
  • Government check; or
  • Any other government document.

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

You can alternatively provide one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration.

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

Registration 

Individuals in Michigan do not need a photo ID or proof of citizenship to register to vote.  

If the voter registers to vote in person, the voter will be asked for a photo ID.  If they do not have one or do not have one with them, the voter will be asked to sign a simple form and will be allowed to register to vote. 

Valid forms of photo ID include: 

• Driver’s License or personal ID card issued by Michigan or another state;
• Federal or state government-issued photo ID;
• U.S. Passport;
• Military ID with Photo;
• Student ID with photo from a Michigan high school or an accredited institution of higher education; and 
• Tribal ID with photo

If the voter registers to vote between October 25 and 8 PM on Election Day, the voter will be required to provide proof of residency. “Proof of Residency” is a document with the voter’s name and current address in the city or township where the voter lives. Paper or electronic copies of any of the following documents will work:

• A Michigan driver’s license or state ID card;
• A utility bill;
• A bank statement;
• A paycheck;
• A government check; or
• Any other government document.

Voting From Home

There is no identification requirement for voting from home. However, to apply for an absentee ballot online, a voter must have a current Michigan driver’s license or state ID.

Voting In Person (on Election Day or Before)

The voter does not need a photo ID to vote, but if they have it, they should bring it with them and provide it to the poll worker or clerk staff to make the process go faster. 

Voters will be asked for photo ID when they go to vote. If they do not have a photo ID, or do not have it with them, they can sign a simple form explaining that they do not have a photo  ID. The voter will then be permitted to vote, and the vote will be counted on Election Day.

First time voters who registered through the mail or a voter registration drive may need to provide some documentation to vote. Electronic or paper copies of any of the following will work:

• Photo ID with the voter’s 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 government-issued photo ID or
• Tribal ID card with photo.

• A non-photo ID with the voter’s name and 

          address on it

• Utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck stub
• Government check or
• Any other government document

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

Military and other overseas citizens may use the standard procedure for absentee voting by mail, but there are also special provisions for members of the U.S. Armed Forces and merchant marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with family members of all these groups, and other citizens who reside outside the United States (together these groups are called UOCAVA voters).

Register to Vote  

Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov) to download and complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). 

Receiving an Absentee Ballot

The FPCA can also be used to obtain an absent voter ballot by email, fax, or regular mail. 

Each year, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program; download an FPCA; complete and submit by postal mail, fax, or scan and email to the voter’s city or township clerk based on their Michigan home residence.

Only those voters covered under the UOCAVA are eligible to use the FCPA and receive an absentee ballot by email or fax. Covered voters include:

• A member of a uniformed service on active duty who is absent from his or her city or township of residence. (Voter can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A member of the Merchant Marine who, by reason of service in the Merchant Marine, is absent from their city or township of residence. (The voter can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A spouse or dependent of a member of a uniformed service or a member of the Merchant Marine who, by reason of the active duty or service of the member, is absent from his or her city or township of residence. (The voter can be inside or outside the United States.)
• A civilian voter who is outside the United States and is eligible to vote in Michigan.
• A member of the National Guard activated on state orders

CAN I VOTE? 

• The ONLY time you cannot register and vote is when you are serving a sentence in jail or prison. 
• You can register to vote and vote if you:
  • Are in jail, but have not been sentenced
  • Are serving a sentence, but are not in jail or prison
  • Are on probation or parole, but are not in jail or prison; or
  • Served your sentence and are no longer in jail or prison