GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Thursday is a big day for voters in Michigan. With 40 days to go until the November midterm election, ballots must now be available for early voting, in accordance with Michigan law.
A passed 2018 ballot initiative ensured all Michigan voters can cast their ballots absentee for no reason. Two years later, the pandemic made it not only convenient, but necessary for many voters in the midst of COVID-19. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 70% of voters in Kent County cast an absentee ballot compared to just 28% in the 2018 election.
Things have understandably tapered off a bit for absentee votes. This past August, during the state’s primary election, Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus-Lyons said the split between in-person and absentee voters was just about 50/50.
Now, according to Michigan law, absentee ballots must be available to those who request one.
“Michigan law requires that absentee ballots be available to all voters no later than 40-days prior to the election,” said Posthumus-Lyons. “Michigan doesn’t just send absentee ballots out. A voter has to send a signed application in to get their ballot.”
There are several ways to request an absentee ballot. You can fill out a request form online through the Michigan Voter Information Center. You can also download an application from MVIC and mail it to your local clerk’s office or drop it off in-person.
You can also call your local clerk to request an application be sent to you by mail, or you can arrive at their office to pick up a form or even fill out an absentee ballot on-site. Mailed ballot requests typically take 7-to-10 days to arrive.
When returning your request and your ballot, make sure to sign the designated spot on the return envelope. Election officials match that signature on your ballot request and physical ballot envelope to the one kept on file – the same signature on your driver’s license. If the signatures don’t match, the clerk’s office will call you to verify your signature and may ask you to come to their offices for another signature for their records. It is illegal for anyone else but the voter to sign their ballot.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot be sent by mail is November 4th – the Friday prior to Election Day. Election officials warn of making late requests for ballots as they may not have time to be returned before the close of the polls.
You can request an absentee ballot in person until 4 p.m. the day before the election – November 7th. Absentee ballots can be mailed to the clerk’s office, just make sure to leave enough time for it to get there before the close of polls. Ballots can also be dropped off in person or at your jurisdiction’s drop box until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Just this week, Michigan lawmakers allowed clerks in municipalities with 10,000 or more people to begin processing absentee ballots two days prior to the election. Before that, early votes had to sit and wait to be counted on Election Day. Election workers will be able to open, ready, and mark voter registration numbers to hopefully give them swifter results on election night.
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