Absentee ballot voting – keep safe & vote by mail

Information provided by the Michigan.gov Secretary of State website on absentee voting.  

All eligible and registered voters in Michigan have the right to vote by mail due to the passage of the statewide ballot proposal 18-3. All eligible and registered voters can request an absent voter ballot without providing a reason. It’s a safe way to vote and protect your health, and the process is secure and accurate. 

To vote by mail, fill out the application below, print and sign it, and then mail or email it to your local clerk (Find their address and email here). When filling out the application, you can check the box to be added to the permanent absent voter list. If you do this, an application mailed to you before every election. There’s no commitment to vote by mail even if you have applied. You can change your mind and vote in person. 

Absent voter ballot applications

• Download an absent voter ballot application 
• Download an absent voter ballot application – Fillable Version
• Download an absent voter ballot application – Large Print Version
• Click here to locate your clerk then send your absent voter ballot application to that office 

Check your voter registration at Michigan Voter Information Center Michigan.gov/Vote

Requesting an absent voter ballot

You must request an absent voter ballot in writing and submit it to your city or township clerk. (Find the address of your city or township clerk, see Michigan.gov/Vote).

You must request an absent voter ballot by submitting the application, large print application, a letter, a postcard, or a pre-printed application form obtained from your local clerk’s office. Requests may be returned by hand, via postal mail, fax, or email, as long as a signature is visible. 

Requests to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you must be received by your clerk no later than 5 p.m. the Friday before the election.

In-person request

If you’re already registered at your current address, you can request an absent voter ballot in person at your clerk’s office anytime up to 4 p.m. on the day prior to the election. If you’re registering to vote or updating your address by appearing at your clerk’s office on Election Day, you can request an absent voter ballot at the same time you register. If you request your AV ballot the day before the election or on Election Day, you must vote the ballot in the clerk’s office. 

Once your request is received by the local clerk, your signature on the request will be checked against your voter registration record before a ballot is issued. You must be a registered voter to receive an absent voter ballot, but you can register and apply for an absent voter ballot at the same time.  Requests for absent voter ballots are processed immediately. Absent voter ballots may be issued to you at your home address or any address outside of your city or township of residence.

After receiving your absent voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk’s office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance voting the ballot, then the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member or person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absent voter ballot to your clerk’s office.

Emergency absent voter ballot — 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 absent voter ballot. Requests must be submitted after the deadline for regular absent voter ballots has passed but before 4 p.m. on Election Day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absent voter ballot. Please contact your local clerk for more information about emergency absent voter ballots.

Spoiling an absent voter ballot If a voter has already voted absentee and wishes to change their vote (because the candidate has dropped out of the race, or for any other reason), a voter can spoil their ballot by submitting a written request to their city or township clerk. The voter must sign the request and state if they would like a new absentee ballot mailed to them or if they will vote at the polls. This request must be received by 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election if received by mail. An absentee ballot may be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to the election. The voter can obtain a new absentee ballot there or vote at the polls. There is no option on Election Day to spoil an absentee ballot that has been received by the clerk.