GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — More people than ever before are voting absentee in this year's election. In Grand Rapids alone, 50,000 ballots have been mailed out, and 10,000 have already been returned. Many of those people are voting for the first time by mail.
To clear up any confusion and misinformation, we took some commonly asked questions about absentee voting to local clerks. We spoke with Joel Hondorp, Grand Rapid's Clerk, and Sarah Bydalek, Walker's Clerk.
Question: When is the deadline to request an absentee ballot?
Hondorp: "The last time you can ask one to be mailed to you is Friday, October 30. The 31st through November 1, you can request an absentee ballot, but you have to vote in person at the clerk’s office."
Question: Do I need a stamp to send back my ballot?
Hondorp: "In Grand Rapids, no. It’s a business reply mail, so you do not need to put a stamp on it to send it back to us."
However, this varies per each district. Some municipalities have pre-paid stamps included with the ballots, but not all. Call your local clerk to find out.
Question: If I have a ballot, but want to vote in-person at the polls, what do I do?
Bydalek: "We’re telling them to hold onto their ballot, take it with them to the precinct."
You have to surrender the ballot. Another option is to bring it to the Clerk's office prior to election day, but Bydalek suggests hanging onto it until then.
"What if in the next 30 days, they're in the hospital, or they get COVID, something happens and they can’t make it there on election day," said Bydalek, "At least they have a ballot in their hand they can turn in on election day."
Question: What if I don't have my empty ballot to surrender at the polling location?
Hondorp: "If you should happen to lose it, spill coffee on it, the dog ate it, we’ve seen it before. If you don’t have it with you, you fill out an affidavit that says 'I either lost it' or 'don’t have it with me.' It says on your record we sent you one and if we received it.
Question: Can I vote by mail and in-person?
You can't. Poll workers will be able to see on your voter record you already voted, and you won't be able to vote at the polls.
Hondorp: "If for some reason you go through the process and the election workers don't stop you, you are eligible for a felony. And the Bureau of Elections do look at those records for who voted absentee and who voted in the precinct."
Question: Can I change my vote after sending it back?
Hondorp: "If you made an error, you can spoil your ballot. State law says you have to request it in writing to have your ballot spoiled, and we will issue you a new ballot. You don’t even need to return the old one."
Question: Can I track my ballot through the mail?
Visit Michigan.gov/vote to see if your ballot was received. Some voting districts have a new barcode that can track your ballot through the U.S. Postal Service.
Question: Can I use a check mark for my ballot?
Hondorp: "Don’t just put a dot there or check mark there. Fill out the whole oval to make sure your vote counts for your candidate."
Question: Can I vote straight-party?
Hondorp: "You can vote straight party. So, if you want to vote straight republican, democrat, libertarian, green, whatever that is, you can do that. In Grand Rapids, that will take care of the whole front of your ballot. Then flip it over, and vote for individual candidates for judicial, school, and the proposals. Or you can vote split ticket.
Question: Can I vote early?
Hondorp: "A lot of people are watching national news, and seeing early voting in other states. That’s not what we have in Michigan. We have no-reason absentee voting. When we mailed you a ballot, that’s the same as any other absentee ballot, whether you come in to our office or get it in the mail from us. That’s the same ballot. You don’t place it in a tabularly like other states, you put it in an envelope, you’ll sign the envelope, and return it to us to our office, by mail, or in one of our drop boxes, and we’ll tabulate them on election day."
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