Early, in-person voting for Michigan's pivotal November election is starting statewide.
After voters passed a ballot initiative in 2022, municipalities in Michigan are required to hold at least nine days of early voting for each statewide and federal election, with early voting locations mandated to remain open for at least eight hours on those days. The mandatory early voting period for the Nov. 3 election runs from Saturday, Oct. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 1.
Here's a quick guide on how early voting works, where you can find an early voting site and more.
How does early voting in Michigan work?
Early voting works just like going to the polls on Election Day. Registered voters can visit an early voting location, fill out their ballots and cast them before Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3. For
voters who want to cast their ballots in person but may have time constraints on Election Day itself, early voting allows another convenient option, advocates say.
If you've already requested and received an absentee ballot, you do have the option to cast it at an early voting site by entering the completed ballot through a tabulator there. Voters also have the option to surrender an absentee ballot at an early voting location.
Communities can offer up to 29 days of early voting under state law, and at least one (East Lansing) opened early voting before Oct. 24.
Where do I find my early voting site?
To find hours and locations for early voting centers in your community, visit the online Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote and click on "How do I vote early?" underneath the section titled "Vote in person."
Larger communities may have more than one early voting site for voters to choose from.
Check your voter registration status
Before heading out to an early voting center, check to see if you're registered to vote!
Visit the state's voter information website michigan.gov/vote and click "Am I registered?" Once on that webpage, you can enter your first and last names, birth month and year and ZIP code to check if you're registered to vote. Or, you can enter your driver's license number and birth month and year to confirm your registration status.
How do I register to vote in Michigan?
Eligible Michigan residents can register to vote and cast a ballot in an election up until polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Within two weeks of an election, residents must register to vote in person at their local clerk's office with proof of residency. The deadline to register online ahead of the Nov. 3 election has passed.
To register to vote in Michigan, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen.
- A Michigan resident for at least 30 days by the time you vote.
- At least 17.5 years old, and be 18 by Election Day.
- Not currently serving a jail or prison sentence.
Within 14 days of an election (including on Election Day itself), you must provide proof of residency. This can include:
- Your Michigan driver’s license or state ID.
- A current utility bill.
- A bank statement.
- A paycheck or government check.
- Another government document.
What's on the ballot?
Voters in Michigan will decide several notable races this November, including:
- A nationally watched U.S. Senate race: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is facing Republican Mike Rogers for an open seat in the Senate after Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, opted to not seek another term.
- A race to decide a new governor: Democrat and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is facing Republican U.S. Rep. John James. Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.
- A new attorney general: Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, a Democrat, faces Eaton County prosecutor Doug Lloyd, a Republican.
- A new secretary of state: Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is the Democratic nominee, while Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini is the Republican nominee.
- All 13 of Michigan's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election. Competitive races include contests in Michigan's 4th, 7th and 10th Congressional districts.
- All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives and all 38 seats in the Michigan Senate are on the ballot.
- Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for election.
- Voters also will decide on Proposal 1, a proposal asking voters if a state constitutional convention should take place. Michigan's current constitution, in place since 1963, requires voters to decide if it should be rewritten every 16 years. So far, voters have rejected rewriting it in 1978, 1994 and 2010.
- Proposal 2 asks voters if utility companies, corporations with more than $250,000 in annual state contracts and the executives that work for them should be banned from making political contributions in Michigan.
- Other local races will also be on the ballot. To see what's on the ballot in your community, visit michigan.gov/vote.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
Looking for more on Michigan’s elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Early voting for Michigan's November election set to start
