The do’s and don’ts of absentee voting in Michigan

Voting by mail in 2024? Read on for tips on things you should and shouldn’t do when sending in your ballot.

In 2018, Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment that expanded voting rights in the state.

Among those expanded rights was no-reason absentee voting, also known as voting by mail.

All registered Michigan voters have the right to vote by mail—you don’t have to provide a reason or prove that you’ll be out of town. Simply preferring to vote by mail is reason enough.

Voting by mail became even more convenient in 2022 after voters passed Proposal 2, which created a permanent mail ballot list—allowing voters who signed up to receive a ballot by mail automatically before each election.

Data shows voters in Michigan put these new rights to good use. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, absentee voter ballot request data showed that 1,287,265 Michiganders had requested an absentee ballot three weeks before 2024’s presidential primary, compared to the 713,465 Michiganders that had requested absentee ballots three weeks before the 2020 presidential primary.

Absentee ballots are available and distributed beginning 40 days before the election (September 26). It is arguably the most convenient way to make your voice heard during elections, but there are some essential things to remember. Here are the do’s and dont’s of voting by mail.

DO: Request your ballot before the deadline.

To request an absentee ballot, apply online, by mail, or in person at your local clerk. 

Online requests can be submitted until 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to Election Day, though voters requesting online are strongly encouraged to apply at least 15 days prior to Election Day. You’ll need a valid driver’s license or Michigan ID to register online as an absentee voter. Your absentee ballot will be mailed to you. 

In-person applications must be completed before 4 p.m. the day before Election Day for voters who are already registered. However, if you’re registering at a new address or for the first time, you can register and apply for an absentee ballot until 8 p.m. on Election Day. In-person applicants can receive, complete, and submit their absentee ballots immediately on-site or take their ballots home to complete and return later. 

Mailed applications must be received by the clerk by 5 p.m. the Friday before Election Day—that’s Nov. 1 for the general election. Like online applications, voters are strongly encouraged to send back completed absentee applications at least 15 days before the election. Your absentee ballot will be mailed to you. 

DON’T: Forget to return your ballot on time.

To return, either drop it off in person or mail it to your local clerk. 

Ballots must be received by the clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. An exception: overseas and military ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and arrive to the clerk within six days after Election Day.

One thing to note—Only the voter, a family member or person residing in the voter’s household, a mail carrier, or an election official is authorized to deliver a voter’s signed absentee ballot to their clerk’s office.

Luckily, if it’s late to mail it back, you still have another option.

“We also now have a constitutional requirement for every jurisdiction to have drop boxes.” Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope said. “So you don’t have to rely on the postal mail. You can return it to a drop box in your jurisdiction and it will be counted.” 

Remember that they still need to be in the box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

DO: Sign your ballot.

The back of your absentee ballot envelope will have a section for you to sign. Make sure that you sign—it’s an easy, but critical mistake to make. Ballots aren’t counted unless a voter’s signature is on the return envelope that matches their signature on file. 

Are you ready to vote? Make sure to check your voter registration status, see who’s on your ballot, and make a voting plan here.

DON’T: Spoil your ballot the wrong way.

If you made a mistake, or need a new ballot for whatever reason, there is a right and wrong way to go about it.

Voters who want to spoil their absentee ballot and receive a new one need to submit a request in writing with their name, address, date and  signature to their local clerk’s office. Clerk’s offices will accept signed statements (in any form) from voters indicating that they would like to spoil their ballot and receive a new one or that they requested a ballot and never received one.

In most cases, absentee voters may “spoil” their ballot, or change their vote, until 5 p.m. on the second Friday before Election Day if the ballot has not already been tabulated.

You cannot, however, request a new ballot once you’ve mailed in an absentee ballot or turned in your in-person ballot to be counted. 

“Don’t give us any notes inside of the envelope. By the time we open your absentee ballot envelope, it’s too late for us to return anything. Once we open it, it’s considered cast. So don’t stick a note in there that says ‘I made a mistake, send me a new ballot,’ you need to send that to us separately from your ballot ahead of time,” Swope said.

If you haven’t sent in your absentee ballot yet, you are still able to vote at your local polling place on election day by completing an Affidavit of Lost or Destroyed Absent Voter Ballot or by surrendering the original ballot.

DO: Check if your ballot has been received.

You can track your ballot via the Michigan Voter Information Center website.