Frequently Asked Questions

Within two weeks of election day, to avoid possible postal delays, we recommend making your request in person at your local city or township clerk office. You’ll be able to fill out and submit your ballot while there.

• Online – Registered voters can request an absentee ballot online through our absentee voter request form before 5 p.m. the Friday before the election.
• Call your city or township clerk and ask that an application be mailed to you
• Download an application to return by mail or in person to your local city or township clerk
• In person at your local city or township clerk’s office

What are my other options for requesting an absentee ballot?

• Call your city or township clerk and ask that an application be mailed to you
• Download an application to return by mail or in person to your local clerk or township. When submitting your absentee ballot application, you also have the option to sign up to join the permanent mail ballot list. Voters whose names are on the permanent ballot list will automatically receive an absentee ballot from their local clerk in each future election for which they are eligible to vote.

Absent voter ballot applications

• Apply online
• Apply online for an accessible electronic absent voter ballot
• Download an absent voter ballot application
• Descargue una solicitud de boleta de voto ausente
• Download an absent voter ballot application - Arabic version
• Download an absent voter ballot application - Bengali version
• Download an absent voter ballot application - Farsi version
• Download an absent voter ballot application - Large print version

Online and mail requests for an absentee ballot must be received by your township or city clerk no later than 5 p.m. the Friday before the election. If you’re already registered at your current address, you can request an absent voter ballot in person at your clerk’s office anytime up to 4 p.m. on the day prior to the election.

If you’re registering to vote or updating your address by appearing at your clerk’s office on Election Day, you can request an absent voter ballot at the same time you register. If you request your AV ballot the day before the election or on Election Day, you must vote the ballot in the clerk's office.

All registered voters can track their ballot by looking up their information in the Michigan Voter Information Center..

If an emergency, like a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on Election Day, you may request an emergency absent voter ballot.

Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular absent voter ballots has passed but before 4 p.m. on Election Day.

The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absent voter ballot. Please contact your local clerk for more information about emergency absent voter ballots.

If a voter has already voted absentee and wishes to change their vote (because the candidate has dropped out of the race, or for any other reason), a voter can spoil their ballot by submitting a written request to their city or township clerk.

• The voter must sign the request and state if they would like a new absentee ballot mailed to them or if they will pick it up in person at the clerk’s office.
• This request must be received by 5 p.m. on the second Friday before the election if the absentee ballot has been returned to the clerk. There is no option during the mandatory early voting period or an Election Day to spoil an absentee ballot that has been received by the clerk.
• An absentee ballot that has not been returned to the clerk may be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to the election.
• If a voter has not returned his or her ballot, the voter can surrender the ballot or sign a statement stating that the ballot was lost or destroyed and vote in person at an early voting site or on Election Day.

You can register to vote and vote in person on Election Day at your city or township clerk’s office. You’ll need to bring your proof of residency.

To be eligible to register to vote you must be:

• A Michigan resident (at the time you register) and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote)
• A United States citizen
• At least 18 years of age (when you vote)
• Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

Proof of residency:

You must show proof of where you live. Documents must have your name and current address. You can show a digital copy of documents. Acceptable documents include:

• Michigan driver’s license or state ID
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck or government check
• Other government document

You can register at any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day at your city or township clerk’s office. If you’re registering another way, your voter registration application must be received or postmarked at least 15 days before the election.

If you're from Michigan and go to school here:

Register to vote at your school address or your home address.

If you're from Michigan and go to a school outside the state:

Register to vote at your home address in Michigan.

If you're not from Michigan but go to school here:

Register to vote at your 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.

You can register at one of the following locations:

• Online at Michigan.gov/VoterRegistration;
• At a Secretary of State branch office;
• At your city or township clerk’s office or your county clerk’s office;
• At any state agency that provides public assistance or services to people with disabilities;
• Through a voter registration drive; or,
• By mailing in a completed voter registration application postmarked at least 15 days before the election.

Within 14 days before the election, all applications must be submitted to your local city or township clerk’s office in person.

The City Clerk conducts all federal, state, county, local, and special elections held within the City. All registered voters in the City vote at:
Sawdon School Administration Building
220 Lamson Street
Grand Ledge, MI 48837

For all elections, polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm Anyone standing in line at 8 pm will be allowed to vote.

View the Voting Precinct Map (PDF), or use the interactive map below to identify your voting Precinct.

Voting systems can vary from county to county, so learn about what to expect before you arrive at the polls.

View specific information about voting equipment in your county

View specific information about Hart, ES&S and Dominion voting systems

You will be asked to show ID when you check in to vote. If you don’t have one, you can still vote.

If this happens, expect a poll worker to ask you to sign a form before you vote that explains you didn’t have an ID. Your ballot will be included with all others and counted.

ID types you can use to check in are:

• Michigan driver's license or state ID (may be expired)
• Driver's license or state ID issued by another state
• Federal, state or local government-issued photo ID
• U.S. passport
• Military photo ID
• Photo ID from an educational institution
• Tribal photo ID

Michigan voters have the right to cast a ballot early and in person at an early voting site before Election Day. Early voting will be available beginning with the presidential primary in 2024 and every statewide and federal election thereafter. Early voting allows a voter to cast a ballot before Election Day, in an experience similar to voting on Election Day. During the early voter period, voters are issued a ballot and can then insert their ballot directly into a tabulator at their early voting site.

Early voting will be available in all jurisdictions statewide and federal elections for 9 days beginning with the second Saturday before an election and ending on the Sunday before Election Day. Cities and townships may offer additional early voting beyond this period.

Learn more about Early In-Person Voting

You can also vote early with an absentee ballot at your local clerk's office during the 40 days before an upcoming election. Voters can now also take an absentee ballot to their early voting site or Election Day polling place and place that ballot into a tabulator themselves. On Election Day, registered voters who have not already voted early at an early voting site or returned an absent voter ballot must vote at their local polling place. Unregistered voters must go to their clerk's office to register and vote there or at their polling place. Use this page to learn more about voting in a polling place.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. You have the right to vote if you are in line by 8 p.m.

Voters with print disabilities may apply for an accessible electronic absent voter ballot that can be completed electronically, printed, and returned to the local clerk. To apply online for an accessible electronic absent voter ballot, click here. Voters may also sign up for the permanent accessible ballot list while submitting their request. Voters whose names are on the permanent accessible absent ballot list will automatically receive an accessible absentee ballot from their local clerk in each future election for which they are eligible.

All voters, including voters with disabilities, have access to a Voter Assist Terminal in all polling places. The Voter Assist Terminal helps the voter mark a ballot. It will mark the ballot with the voter's choices but does not tally the votes. Once the ballot is marked, it is counted in exactly the same fashion as all other ballots.

You have the right to an accessible polling place and an accessible voting machine.

During the early voting period or on Election Day, you can send someone into the polling place to request curbside voting on your behalf. The election inspectors will bring a ballot outside so you can vote.

You have the right to vote independently using an accessible voting machine. If you would like to use an accessible voting machine, tell an election official when you arrive to vote.

You have the right to assistance from the election officials. You can ask the election officials for instructions on how to use the voting equipment or assistance at any time, even after you’ve entered the voting booth.

If you are blind, disabled, or unable to read or write, you have the right to assistance from anyone you choose. However, the person cannot be:

• Your employer
• An agent of your employer
• An officer or agent of your labor union

Election officials must consider accessibility inside the polling place. You should find:

• Adequate lighting and seating
• At least 1 voting station that can accommodate a person who is seated
• Access to a Voter Assist Terminal

If you do not read or write English and a ballot is not available in your language, you have the right to assistance from anyone you choose. However, the person cannot be:

• Your employer
• An agent of your employer
• An officer or agent of your labor union