Election Day in Michigan is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and eligible residents can register to vote and cast a ballot in what's slated to be a pivotal midterm all the way until polls close.
But there are key dates and deadlines to know about registering to vote via a certain method. Here's a quick guide on who's eligible to vote in Michigan, what you need to have in order to register, deadlines and more.
Check your registration status
If you're unsure whether you're already registered to vote, you can check your registration status by visiting the Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote.
In 2019, Michigan began implementing automatic voter registration for eligible residents who made transactions at their Secretary of State branch, so it's possible you could already be registered
to vote even if you haven't specifically attempted to. Twenty-four states and Washington, D.C. have automatic voter registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Who's eligible to vote in Michigan?
To register to vote in Michigan, you must be:
- Not currently serving a jail or prison sentence
- A U.S. citizen
- A Michigan resident for at least 30 days by the time you vote
- At least 17½ years old, and be 18 by Election Day
How to register to vote in Michigan
Once you've sorted out your eligibility, there are multiple ways to register to vote.
Register in-person at your local clerk's office by obtaining and returning a voter registration application. Along with the application, you must provide proof of residency if applying within 14 days of an election. This can be a valid Michigan ID, a utility bill, a credit card or banking statement, another government document and more. Within 14 days of an election, registration has to take place in person at a local clerk's office. For the November election, registration must take place in-person beginning Tuesday, Oct. 20. If you're unsure where your local clerk's office is located, you can find that information at michigan.gov/vote.
You can register to vote at your local clerk's office up until polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, although it's smart to leave yourself some time to make it to your polling precinct if you're registering to vote on Election Day itself, or to just submit an absentee ballot at your local clerk's office.
Register online by visiting michigan.gov/vote. You can register to vote online up to 15 days before the election.
Register through the mail by printing off an application online at michigan.gov/vote, picking up an application at your local clerk's office, or by requesting your local clerk mail you an application. Voter registration applications sent through the mail must be postmarked at least 15 days before the election.
There are multiple ways to vote in Michigan
Michigan voters have choices when it comes to casting their ballots. They can visit their local polling precinct on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In statewide elections, Michigan also offers early in-person voting. Early voting works just like going to the polls on Election Day. The mandatory early voting period for the primary runs from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1. To find early voting locations and hours in your community, you can visit michigan.gov/vote.
And voters can also request and return an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be requested online at michigan.gov/vote by filling out the online application and having your absentee ballot mailed to you. The online form must be submitted before 5 p.m. on the Friday ahead of Election Day. You also can print out the application online and return the completed form to your local clerk's office.
Registered voters can also call their clerk's office and request an absentee ballot be mailed to them. If you are already registered to vote, you can also visit your local clerk's office and request an absentee ballot in person up until 4 p.m. the day before an election.
If you are registering to vote for the first time, you can request an absentee ballot in person at your local clerk's office up until polls close on Election Day.
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: How to register to vote in Michigan's November election
