At a Glance: Michigan
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Michigan Voting Rules
Voter Registration Form:
Forms can be found here.
Deadline to Register:
30 days before the election (Oct 6, 2008).
Voter Eligibility:
In order to be eligible to vote in Michigan, you must: be a US citizen; a resident of Michigan; a resident of the city in which you are applying to vote; and at least 18 years old by Election Day.
Identification Requirements:
You don't have to show ID to register, but be sure to put down a driver’s license number or a personal ID card number, or if you don’t have either, the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Where to Turn in Your Registration Form:
Voter registration forms should be turned in to your city or township clerk. You can find your local clerk here.
How to Register Others:
There are no special rules for voter registration drives in Michigan, but you should always return forms to city clerks promptly.
Absentee Voting:
You can vote absentee if you have an approved excuse. You can vote absentee if you are 60 years old or older; can’t get to the polls without assistance; expecting to be out of town on Election Day; in jail awaiting trial; unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons; working as an election inspector in a precinct that’s not your own.
• If you register to vote by mail or through a registration drive (including one through the campaign), you must vote in person in your first election (unless you’re overseas, handicapped, or 60 or over).
Application Process:
Applications can be found here. You can mail in your application or turn it in in person at your city clerk’s office. A You can find your local clerkhere.
If you want your absentee ballot mailed to you, your application has to be received in the office of the clerk by 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 1. (You can also vote in person at the office of the clerk on Monday, November 3.) Absentee ballots have to be received by the office of the clerk by 8 pm on Election Day.
Early Vote:
There’s no general early vote in Michigan, but if you’re eligible to vote absentee, you can do so in person at the office of the city clerk from about a month before the election.
For More Information:
Bureau of Elections
Secretary of State's Office
Michigan Department of State
Lansing, MI 48918
Phone: 1-888-767-6424
Email: secretary@michigan.gov
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/sos
Info about veterans, voting in other states, etc.
Please see this website for more information on U.S. Military Voter Services and voting overseas.
Click here to return to our Voter Registration Action Center home page.
Read our voter registration event guide here.
Visit Michigan's state home page.