How to Register, Vote and Track Your Ballot in Michigan

En español | Michigan voters in 2022 passed a constitutional amendment that will introduce nine days of early voting, among other measures.

The 2022 midterms decided contests for governor, secretary of state, U.S. House and the state legislature, among other races. The next statewide elections will be held in 2024.

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• Upcoming elections: When available, information about future elections can be found at the Michigan Department of State's website.

• Absentee voting: All registered voters can request a no-excuse absentee ballot and vote from home in Michigan.

• Early in-person voting: Michiganders could previously vote early and in person by going to their local election clerk’s office and filling out an absentee ballot. But a new constitutional amendment will introduce nine days of in-person early voting.

• Voting in person on Election Day: You'll be asked to show ID when voting in person, though you can fill out additional paperwork at the polls if you forget to bring it with you.

As a result of redistricting, Michigan officials in 2021 redrew legislative districts for the state House and Senate and U.S. Congress. To find your legislative district and polling location, visit Michigan.gov/vote, enter your voter information and select "View voting district information."

Michigan voters in November 2022 approved a constitutional amendment that will set up an early voting window, require the state to fund drop boxes and prepaid stamps for absentee ballots and require military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted, among other changes.

• Online: Use the state’s voter registration portal to register or check your registration status. The online registration period cuts off 14 days prior to an election.

• By mail: Print out a voter registration form, complete it and mail it to your local election clerk’s office. You can also pick up an application from the clerk’s office, a secretary of state branch office, a state public assistance agency or from a voter registration drive.

• In person: Go to your local clerk’s office. Be sure to bring an acceptable form of ID that proves your residency, like a state driver’s license or a copy of a paycheck stub or utility bill. You can register to vote at your local election clerk’s office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, but you’ll likely want to leave yourself more time to cast your ballot.

You can check if you’re registered to vote through the state’s voter information portal.

Not in Michigan. Voters participating in the primaries can choose only one party’s ballot.

Any registered voter can request a no-excuse absentee ballot and vote from home.

You can apply for an absentee ballot online, by mail or in person: 

• Online: Fill out an absentee ballot request form on the Michigan secretary of state’s website.

• By mail: Download, print and complete a ballot application from the state’s voter information portal. Send it to your local election clerk’s office. You can also call your clerk’s office and ask that they mail you a ballot application.

• In person: Visit your local election clerk’s office to pick up and complete an application or return a completed form you downloaded from the state’s voter information portal.

Return completed ballots by mail or in person. You can return someone else’s ballot if you’re their immediate family member, someone who lives in their household, a mail carrier or an authorized election official. Election officials must receive ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day

• By mail: Sign and seal your completed ballot and mail it to your local election clerk’s office. But if you’re returning your ballot within two weeks of Election Day, officials recommend filling out the application in person at your local election clerk’s office to avoid potential postal delays.

• In person: Drop off your completed ballot at your local clerk’s office or at a secure drop box, once the state releases locations for the 2022 elections.

Use the state’s voter portal to track the status of your absentee ballot. 

In the event of an emergency, such as an unexpected illness or death in the family, you may be able to request an emergency absentee ballot by contacting your local election clerk’s office before 4 p.m. on Election Day.

Yes. Previously, you'd need to go to your local election clerk’s office and fill out an absentee ballot in person. But Michigan voters have approved a new nine-day early voting window.

You will still be able to cast a ballot after polls close as long as you were already in line. Use the state's voter information portal to find a polling place near you. 

If you are voting in person, you’ll be asked to show an acceptable form of ID, like a state driver’s license or U.S. passport. If you forget or don’t have an ID, you’ll be allowed to vote but will need to fill out additional paperwork to verify your identity and explain why you don’t have the necessary documents.

Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Nov. 14 with more information about voting in Michigan. The guide was first published on July 30, 2020.

• Follow AARP's political coverage at aarp.org/elections  
• Keep up with local events and AARP advocacy efforts at aarp.org/mi