Michigan voters can now cast an absentee ballot in the November general election. Ballots can be submitted to a city or township’s office either in-person or by mail.
For voters sending in an absentee ballots by mail, those need to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 4 (except for military and overseas voters, who need to have their ballots postmarked by that date by that date).
For people already registered to vote at their current address, the deadline to apply to vote an absentee ballot is November 3 at 4 p.m.
People who are not yet registered to vote can do so until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
To request an absentee ballot, you can fill out an application on the Michigan Secretary of State’s office website.
You can return the absentee ballot by mail, in person at your local clerk's office, or at a ballot drop box.
Michigan Voting, a coalition of nonpartisan pro-voting organizations and elected officials, recommends that people submit mail-in ballots by October 22 to avoid postal delays. Absentee ballots can also be delivered in-person until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
You can track the status of your absentee ballot via the state’s voter information portal.
The November election includes local races in many jurisdictions across the state. One of the biggest is the Detroit mayoral race. The city will be electing a new mayor for the first time in more than a decade.
You can contact your city or township clerk to find out if there’s an election in your community.
If you do not submit an absentee ballot, Election Day polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on November 4.
