MICHIGAN, USA — In Michigan, anyone can request a ballot after no-reason absentee voting was approved by voters in a 2018 proposal.
There are several steps to follow in order to ensure you get a ballot: request a ballot, fill out the ballot, submit it.
1. Request a ballot
An application for an absentee ballot was mailed to all registered Michigan voters ahead of the primary election. If you didn’t get one, you can request an absentee ballot online, call your clerk’s office and ask for a new application to be mailed to you or you can print an application off to mail it in or drop it off in person.
Once you’ve submitted the absentee ballot request, you can track it online. Requests must be received by a clerk by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. If you bring your request to a clerk’s office, you have until 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 to get a ballot. When a clerk gets your request, your signature will be compared against your voter registration record before a ballot will be sent out.
RELATED: How to register to vote in Michigan
2. Fill out your ballot
The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office encourages people to fill out and send their ballot in as soon as they get it.
If you haven’t gotten your ballot yet, don’t worry. Clerks won’t start sending them out until Sept. 24.
3. Submit it
Postal delivery times have slowed in recent months, so voters are recommended to mail their ballot in no later than Oct. 20, which is at least two weeks before the election. You can also fill your ballot out at home and drop it off in person at a clerk’s office, which will have a secure drop box available 24 hours a day.
What happens if I submit my ballot and I want to change my vote?
Michiganders who vote absentee have the option to spoil their ballot if they changed their mind. In order to do this, voters need to submit a written request to have a new absentee ballot mailed to them or pick one up in person. This request must be received by Saturday, Oct. 31. A ballot can also be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.
If you requested and received an absentee ballot, but didn’t turn it in, you can still vote in person. You just need to sign a statement. On Election Day, voters cannot spoil an absentee ballot.
Where are ballot drop box locations?
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