What to know about voting absentee in 2025. Dates, rules, tracking

November’s election day is lower than a month away, which suggests Michigan voters can request and fill out absentee ballots so they do not must take the time to journey to a polling station on November 4.

Voters who obtain an absentee poll have a number of choices for returning it, as much as and together with Election Day.

Along with returning the poll to your native clerk, you can too return it by a safe mailbox within the metropolis or city the place you reside. according to the Michigan Division of State. In the event you run out of time to return it, you possibly can even drop it off on Election Day.

What am I voting for in 2025 in Michigan?

On Election Day this 12 months, voters can use their constitutional proper to vote on poll measures, mayoral or metropolis council contests, which range by location.

Go to the Michigan Voter Data Middle to examine what’s in your poll this 12 months website.

When can I get an absentee poll?

Important dates associated to absentee voter ballots in Michigan:

• Absentee voter ballots can be obtainable to voters starting September 25
• Deadline for making safe drop containers obtainable 24 hours a day: September 25
• The day by day assortment of AV ballots from mailboxes will start on September 30
• Deadline for voters who’ve returned a poll to submit a request to spoil the poll and obtain a brand new AV poll on the clerk’s workplace: 5 p.m. October 24
• Deadline for voters who’ve returned a poll to request to have the poll spoiled and obtain a brand new AV poll within the mail: 5:00 PM October 24
• Deadline to revive a signature on an AV voting request and obtain it by mail: October 31 at 4 p.m.
• Deadline for clerks to mail an absentee voter’s poll: 5 p.m., October 31
• Deadline for individuals who have misplaced their absentee poll or haven’t but obtained their poll within the mail to submit a written request to have their absentee voter poll spoiled and obtain a brand new absentee voter poll within the mail: 5 p.m. October 31
• Deadline for individuals who misplaced their poll or didn’t obtain it within the mail to submit a written request to spoil the unique and acquire a brand new poll in individual: 4:00 PM November 3
• Deadline for requesting an AV vote in individual on the clerk’s workplace: 4 p.m. November 3
• Deadline for in-person absentee balloting and voting: Election Day, November 4
• Deadline for emergency absentee voting: 4:00 PM on Election Day, November 4

How can I return my absentee poll?

Michigan voters who request an absentee poll have a number of choices for returning it as soon as they full it, together with:

By submit: The Michigan Secretary of State’s Workplace encourages voters to mail of their ballots not less than two weeks earlier than Election Day to keep away from mail delays. A pre-paid envelope can be offered for voters who vote absentee.

Supply field: Voters can return a accomplished and signed poll to one among their clerk’s safe mailboxes of their metropolis or city. Click on to see the place your worker’s mailboxes are positioned here. Ballots returned to a mailbox within the mistaken jurisdiction could also be delayed or in the end not obtained in time to be counted.

On election day (besides Detroit): Voters can flip of their absentee poll on the polling place the place they usually vote. You will discover your polling station at michigan.gov/vote.

On an early voting website: Voters can return their absentee poll at their early voting website. You will discover your early voting website at michigan.gov/vote.

At a clerk’s workplace: Voters may return their absentee poll to their native clerk’s workplace. You will discover your registry at michigan.gov/vote.

To be able to be counted, ballots should be positioned in a mailbox earlier than 8 p.m. on election day. In the event you mail in your poll, it should be obtained by your native clerk by 8:00 PM on Election Day.

Preserving observe of your absentee poll

Monitor the standing of your absentee poll utility and vote on-line utilizing the Michigan Voter Data Middle. Go to mvic.sos.state.mi.usclick on “Your voter information” and full the search kind. As soon as in your web page, you possibly can examine to see in case your utility or poll has been obtained.

Detroit Free Press reporters Clara Hendrickson and Arpan Lobo contributed to this report.

Jalen Williams is a reporting intern on the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.