Voting In Michigan

To be eligible to vote in Michigan you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• 18 years old by Election Day
• A resident of Michigan and at least a 30 day resident of your city or township by Election Day
• Not confined in a jail after being convicted and sentenced

It is recommended that you show identification when you register to vote. However, if you register by mail and do not provide identification you must bring ID to the polls when you vote for the first time.

If you are registering for the first time and submitting your registration by mail, you should accurately enter your state issued driver's license number or personal ID card number on the mail-in registration form. If you have neither of these, please provide either a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement or government document that states your name and address.

The residential address you use for voter registration must be the same as the address on your driver's license. Submitting a change for a driver's license address will be applied to your voter registration and vice versa.

Note: If you have never voted in Michigan and register by mail, you must appear in person to vote in the first election in which you wish to participate. This requirement does not apply if you: personally hand deliver the mail registration form to your local clerk's office instead of mailing the form; if you are 60 years of age or more; if you are disabled; or you are eligible to vote under the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act.

All voters are requested to show an acceptable form of photo identification at the polls. Voters who do not have acceptable photo ID or forgot to bring acceptable photo ID to the polls can vote like any other voter by signing an affidavit (see below). Your photo ID does not need to have your address on it. In addition, the name on your identification card may be a shorter form of your name. For example, "Bill" for "William" and "Kathy" for "Katherine" are acceptable. After showing your photo ID to the poll worker and signing the application, you may cast your ballot. Acceptable photo ID includes:

Voters without photo ID: Michigan election law anticipates that not all voters will have photo ID. Voters who do not have acceptable photo ID or forgot to bring acceptable photo ID to the polls can vote like any other voter by signing an affidavit. Questions regarding the voter identification requirement can be directed to your local city or township clerk’s office.

Note: If you have registered to vote but your name is not on the precinct list, you can show acceptable identification (see above) to be able to cast a provisional ballot. If in this situation you do not present identification, you can cast an envelope ballot, which will not be counted unless you present acceptable identification to your local clerk within 6 days after the election.

You must register to vote at least 30 days before an election. You should register to vote at your local clerk's office, with the county clerk or by visiting any Secretary of State branch office. In addition, the following state agencies offer voter registration services to their clients: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health and the Department of Career Development. Military recruitment centers also provide voter registration services.

Whenever you move to a new city or township, you must re-register to vote. If you move within a city or township, you must update your address. This can be handled through your local clerk, at a Secretary of State branch office, by mail or at any other location where voter registrations are accepted. Michigan voters must use the same residential address for voter registration and driver's license purposes. Consequently, if you submit a driver's license address change, it will be applied to your voter registration. Similarly, if you submit a voter registration address change, it will be applied to your driver's license.

To verify your voter registration status, please visit your state's voter registration verification tool.

As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee ballot if you are:

• 60 years old or older
• Unable to vote without assistance at the polls
• Expecting to be out of town on Election Day
• In jail awaiting arraignment or trial
• Unable to attend due to religious reasons
• Appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence

A person who registers to vote by mail must vote in person in the first election in which he or she participates. The restriction does not apply to overseas voters, voters who are handicapped or voters who are 60 years of age or older.

Requests to have an absentee ballot mailed to you must be submitted to your local clerk no later than 2:00 pm the Saturday before the election.

If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death, prevents you from reaching the polls on Election Day, you may request an emergency absentee voter ballot. Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular absentee ballots has passed, but before 4:00 pm on Election Day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absentee ballot. Your local clerk will have more information about emergency absentee voter ballots.

Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can find information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Early Voting is not available.

The next election will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 (Tuesday, July 6, 2010: Registration Deadline). The following elections will take place in 2010:

Check your state's resource for local election dates and information.

In order to be a poll worker in Michigan:

• You must be registered to vote in Michigan
• You will be entitled to compensation
• You must be at least 18 years of age
• Political affiliation required
• You must be a resident of the county
• You must complete required training
• Students16 years or older who meet all other voter requirements may be appointed

To sign up, contact your local board of elections.

Polling places will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day.

Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Michigan law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees.

You can find your polling place by utilizing VOTE411's poll locator tool. Some states and local jurisdictions provide their own poll locators. You can confirm your voting location by selecting from the following local resources: Michigan State Polling Place Locator Tool

If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

Voters who do not bring picture identification to the polls or do not possess picture identification can vote by signing an affidavit.

The voting system used in Michigan is optical scan.

Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.

For additional information on how to use optical scan machines, please watch the secretary of state's website video.

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures is available here.

Any action or physical barrier that prevents voters with disabilities from casting a ballot is unacceptable. To ensure that proper accessibility is maintained, federal and state laws require polling places to remove or make accommodations for any barriers that prevent voters with disabilities from voting.

Care should be taken to ensure that the polling place is accessible: doors should not be blocked, alternatives to stairs such as ramps or elevators should be available, and lighting and seating should be adequate. Furthermore, at least one voting station should be adapted to allow a person to vote while seated.

If you require assistance in casting a ballot, you may choose a person to help you provided that the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.

If you or someone you know requires special access to the polls, it’s important to call the clerk’s office ahead of time to make sure your voting site is free of obstructions. If your precinct is not accessible, you will be directed to an alternative site that is accessible. For more information, contact your local clerk. Hearing impaired residents with questions may contact the Department of State’s Bureau of Elections by TTY at (517) 322-1477.

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.