Your voting rights in Michigan

Here’s what you need to know to cast your vote on or before the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election.

Voter registration requirements and deadlines

Eligible Michiganders can register to vote or update their voter registration online, by mail, or in person.

To register to vote in Michigan, an individual must:

Be a Michigan resident
Be a United States citizen
Be 17.5 years of age and 18 by Election Day to vote (eligible 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote)
Not be currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

Here are the voter registration deadlines for the Nov. 3 General Election:

Oct. 19: This is the deadline to register to vote by mail or online. It’s recommended to mail in your voter registration at least two weeks before the deadline to avoid postal delays.
Nov. 3, by 8 p.m., This is the last day to register in person at your clerk’s office. In-person registration is available Oct. 20 through Election Day.

Use The ‘Gander’s voter hub to look up your registration status or register online for the Nov. 3 election.

Voter ID requirements

Photo ID is not a requirement to vote in Michigan. You will be asked to present a photo ID when voting; however, if you are not in possession of an acceptable form of ID, you can still vote by signing a form that confirms your identity.

Click here to learn more about Voter ID laws in Michigan.

Find your polling location

Polling locations are determined by a voter’s registration address and can change between elections. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. If a voter is in line by 8 p.m., they are entitled to stay in line until they are able to cast their ballot.

Use The ‘Gander’s voter hub to find your polling place.

Voting early and absentee

Early in-person voting

In Nov. 2022, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote early and in person before statewide and federal elections. Early in-person voting allows voters to cast a ballot in an experience similar to voting on Election Day, by inserting their completed ballot into the tabulator at an early voting site.

Michigan’s early in-person voting period for the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 24-Nov. 1. Some communities may offer in-person early voting for an additional day on Monday, Nov. 2, until 4 p.m. Click here to find your early voting location.

Voting absentee

Any registered Michigan voter can apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.

Here are the absentee voting deadlines for the Nov. 3 general election:

Oct. 30, 5 p.m.: This is the deadline to request an absentee ballot online or by mail. It’s recommended that mail requests be sent at least two weeks before Election Day to avoid postal delays.
Nov. 2, 4 p.m.: This is the deadline to request an absentee ballot in person at your local clerk’s office.
Nov. 3, 8 p.m.: This is the deadline to return your absentee ballot. It’s recommended to mail your absentee ballot at least two weeks before Election Day to avoid postal delays, or use a ballot drop box or hand-deliver it to your clerk’s office.
Special circumstances for military and overseas voters:
- The deadline for military or overseas voters to submit an absent voter ballot application is 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31. Military and overseas absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within six days after the election.

Voting with a disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) are federal laws that protect a person’s right to vote privately and independently. These laws also require polling places to be accessible and guarantee voters with disabilities the right to cast a ballot using an accessible voting machine, called a Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) in Michigan. Voters with disabilities can also request accommodations, including curbside voting, accessible absentee ballots, and assistance with voting in-person.

Visit the Disability Rights Michigan-Voting Resources Guide for more information.

Language assistance

Under federal law, voters who have difficulty reading or writing in English can receive in-person assistance at the polls from the person of their choice. This can not be the voter’s employer or an agent or officer of the voter’s union. Counties covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act are required to provide bilingual assistance to voters in specific languages. This includes Bengali in Hamtramck City in Michigan.

Click here to learn more about language rights in voting.

If you experience problems at the Polls

Voter intimidation

Voter intimidation is illegal. Examples include:

Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal history, or eligibility to vote
Impersonating an election official
Posting false or misleading signs about voter fraud or criminal penalties
Spreading false information about voting rights
Harassing voters, especially non-English speakers and voters of color

If you see or experience voter intimidation, report it to your local election officials. You can also contact the Election Protection Hotline for assistance.

Click here to learn how you can take a more active role in spotting voter suppression as a poll watcher.

Issues with finding your registration

If a poll worker tells you that you’re not on the list of registered voters, you can ask them to check the spelling of your name and if there is a supplemental list of voters. If your name still can not be found, confirm you’re at the correct polling location.

If you are registered at a different location, you will likely need to travel to that location to cast a regular ballot.
If you are at the correct polling location, you are entitled to a provisional ballot, even if you’re not in the poll book. Following the election, election officials will determine whether you are registered and qualified to vote. If you are qualified and registered, they will count your provisional ballot.

You can also call the Election Protection Hotline for assistance.

Election Protection Hotline

If you run into any problems or have voting-related questions, call the Election Protection Hotline:

English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683