Voting & Elections Toolkits

Deadline

• Eligible citizens may register to vote up to 15 days before the election through mail. 
• After this deadline, you can register at your city/township clerk’s office in person
• February 12, 2024 is the mail-in deadline for the Presidential Preference Primary
• July 26th, 2024 is the mail-in deadline for the Primary election
• October 22, 2024 is the deadline postmark for mail-in registration for the general election.
• Guidelines

Election Calendar

Online registration

Michigan does not offer online registration

Mail-in registration

Printable forms (in English)

Printable forms (in Other Languages)

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Choosing a political party:   

Michigan does not register political party affiliation

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move or name change, use the voter registration form. If you update your driver’s license address, this will be automatically updated.

Cancelling registration

Voter registration can be cancelled upon written notice to the city/township clerk.

ID Requirements for Voting

All Voters

Voters are not required to possess a photo ID to vote in Michigan. Voters without a photo ID may sign an affidavit and will be issued a ballot. By law, voters in possession of a photo ID must present it at the polls.

Acceptable Forms of Photo Identification 

If you do not have photo ID, you can still cast a ballot simply by signing an affidavit. The affidavit can be used by:

• Voters who do not have acceptable photo ID
• Voters who have photo ID but didn't bring it to the polls

Once you sign the affidavit, you may cast your ballot. It will be counted with all other ballots on Election Day.

Where to get an ID

Secretary of State Branch Offices

• Locations

Obtaining a Driver’s License

• All ID types

Absentee voting

More information on absentee voting in Michigan

Opening/closing dates

• Requests to have an absentee ballot mailed to you must be received by your clerk no later than 5pm the Friday before an election.
• Absentee ballots for the November 5, 2024 general election will not be issued after November 1, 2024.
• After receiving your absent voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on election day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk's office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance voting the ballot, then the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member or person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absent voter ballot to your clerk's office.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

• Ballot Requests must be received by 5pm the Friday before the election, but time should be allowed for mailing
• Overseas ballots must be received by the Town Clerk by the close of the polls on election day in order to be counted.
• Military and Overseas Absent Voter Ballot Application

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

Due to the passage of the statewide ballot proposal 18-3, all eligible and registered voters in Michigan may now request an absent voter ballot without providing a reason.

Application for Absentee Ballot

Translated Resources

Polling places and hours

• Use the Polling Place Locator to find your polling place
• For a general election or primary, polls in Michigan are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. by time zone
• Check with the County or Local Clerk regarding voting hours for referenda.
• Time off to vote: Michigan does not require employers to give employees time off to vote.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

• Lyft provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities
• Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact the local office:
  • Republican Party: 
  • Democratic Party: 

Help for voters with disabilities

• Disability Rights Michigan operates the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program.
• All jurisdictions in Michigan are required to provide a ‘reasonable number of accessible facilities’  Contact your local clerk to find out if your voting site if free of obstructions and get information on alternative locations if required.

Ballots

Sample ballots

• Ballots for all elections

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

• Ballots by Precinct

Important Dates

Election Day is November 5, 2024

Dates of municipal elections can be found on the Secretary of State site

Who conducts elections?

• The Michigan Secretary of State is the Commissioner of Elections and oversees statewide and local elections
• The City/Township Clerk maintains voter rolls for each municipality
• City/Township Clerks prepare ballots and administer balloting for each municipality

Voter Bill of Rights

Michigan does not have a Voter Bill of Rights

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

The Department of State can field complaints about Campaign Finance violations

Campaign finance

The Campaign Finance Disclosure site from the Secretary of State provides access to candidates’ election committee and Political Action Committee campaign finance filings

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials