Know Your Voting Rights Card

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Who Can Vote?
Registration
Voting Early
Voting on Election Day
Photo ID
Problems at the Polls
Tips for Avoiding Problems
Additional Information

Who Can Vote?

• Can I vote in Michigan?
You can vote in the November 8 election if you are registered to vote by October 11, 2016.

• Can I register to vote?

You can register to vote if you meet all of the following qualifications: (1) you’re a U.S. citizen; (2) you’re a Michigan resident; (3) you’ll be at least 18 years old on Election Day; and (4) you’re not incarcerated on Election Day after a conviction for a misdemeanor or felony.

• What if I’m a student?

You can register to vote at whatever address you regard as your primary legal residence. This can be your school address or your home address—even if you’re an out-of-state student at a Michigan college or University.

If you’re an in-state student, Michigan law requires the address on your voter registration card to match the address on your driver’s license or personal identification card. The Secretary of State will automatically change your Michigan driver’s license address to match the address entered on your voter registration form and send you a sticker for the back of your license to reflect the new address. If you later move or decide to designate another address as your primary legal residence, you can do so for free by simply sending in a change-of-address form available at http://www.michigan.gov/sos.

If you have questions about whether to vote on campus or at home, and how to do it, see “Student Voting Made Easy” at http://www.aclumich.org/studentvoting.

• What if I’ve been convicted of a crime?

If you were convicted of a misdemeanor or felony in Michigan, you can vote if you’re not currently incarcerated. Your right to vote is automatically restored when you are released from incarceration. You can vote if you are on probation or parole.

You can also vote by absentee ballot if you’re in jail awaiting trial or arraignment and are not serving a sentence.

• What If I am homeless?

You don’t need a home to register, but you have to identify a place of residence, which can be a street corner, a park, a shelter or any other place where you usually stay. You should also provide a mailing address, which can be a local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or anyone else willing to accept mail for you.

Registration

• How do I register?

You can register to vote:

  • in person, by filling out a voter registration application at your county, city or township clerk’s office or at any Secretary of State branch office;
  • by mail, by filling out a mail-in voter registration application and mailing it to your local clerk;
  • when you apply for services at any state agencies that provide public assistance (such as Medicaid, WIC and food stamps) or services to people with disabilities.
  • through a voter registration drive, by filling out a voter registration application and giving it to a private organization to turn in for you.

 If you are registering in Michigan for the first time and plan to vote by mail on an absentee ballot, you should hand-deliver your registration form or register in person. First-time Michigan voters who register by mail or through a voter registration drive can’t vote by mail unless they are 60 or over, disabled, overseas voters, or request their absentee ballot in person at the clerk’s office.

You can get mail-in voter registration forms from any county, city, or township clerk’s office, most libraries or online at http://www.michigan.gov/vote.

• What is the registration deadline?

You can vote in the November 8, 2016 election if you are registered to vote by October 11, 2016.

• What if I miss the deadline?

You won’t be able to vote in the November 8, 2016 election, but you can register to vote in future elections.

• What if I’ve moved or changed my name?

You should submit an address change each time you move within a city or township, and re-register each time you move to a different city or township or change your name.

If you moved within a city or township, or if you moved to a different city or township after September 9, 2016, but haven’t updated your address, you can vote at your old precinct and update your information there. If you moved to a different city or township on or before September 9, 2016, and didn’t re-register, you won’t be able to vote in the November 8, 2016 election.

• How do I know if I’m registered?

You can check your registration status at http://www.michigan.gov/vote, or by calling your local city or township clerk.

Voting Early

• Can I vote before Election Day?

Maybe. You can vote by absentee ballot before Election Day if you are registered to vote and you meet any of the following conditions:

  • you’re disabled;
  • your religion prevents you from voting at the polls;
  • you’re a poll worker away from your regular polling place;
  • you’re at least 60 years old;
  • you’ll be out of your city or township on Election Day; or
  • you’re in jail awaiting arraignment or trial.

• How do I get an absentee ballot?

You have to submit an application for an absentee ballot, and your application must be received no later than 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 5. You can get an application at your clerk’s office or you can download one by going to http://www.michigan.gov/vote.

If you’re a first-time Michigan voter who registered by mail or through a voter registration drive, you have to submit your application in person at the clerk’s office unless you’re 60 or over, disabled, or an overseas voter. Other voters can submit their application by mail or by hand. If you have a last-minute emergency that will prevent you from voting at the polls on Election Day, you can request an emergency absentee ballot until 4 p.m. on Election Day. Contact your city or township clerk for more information.

• What is the deadline for returning my absentee ballot?

To be counted, your absentee ballot must be received by your clerk’s office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voting on Election Day

• When is Election Day?

Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

• When are the polls open?

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You have the right to vote if you are in line when the polls close.

• Can I get time off from work to vote?

Michigan law doesn’t require employers to give their employees paid or unpaid time off from work to vote, but your employer might have its own policy allowing you to do so. Ask your employer well before Election Day.

• Where do I vote?

On Election Day, you have to vote at the polling place to which you are assigned. Your assigned polling place will be listed on the Voter Identification Card that you should receive in the mail when you register. If you don’t have your card, you can call your city or township clerk or look up your polling place online at http://www.michigan.gov/vote.

• What if my polling place is not accessible?

If you find this out before Election Day, call your local clerk right away and ask for an assignment to an alternate site that is accessible. You have the right to an accessible polling place and an accessible voting machine. 

On Election Day, you can also send someone into the polling place to request curbside voting on your behalf. Poll workers will bring a ballot outside so you can vote. Or you can bring one or more people to assist you. If you’re blind, disabled, or unable to read or write you have the right to have anyone you choose assist you as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your labor union.

• Can I get a ballot in my native language?

If you vote in Clyde Township in Allegan County or in the City of Hartford, you have the right to assistance in Spanish. If you vote in the City of Hamtramck, you have the right to assistance in Bengali. You’re entitled to a translation of all ballots and other election materials.

If assistance in your language isn’t available where you vote, you have the right to bring an interpreter with you to the polls or to get assistance in your language from anyone you choose, including a poll worker, as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your labor union.

• What if I need help in the voting booth?

If you need help because you are blind, disabled, or unable to read or write, tell a poll worker when you get to your polling place. You have the right to vote on an accessible voting machine. You also have the right to have anyone you choose assist you in the voting booth, as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an office or agent of your labor union.

If you need instructions on how to use voting equipment in your precinct, ask a poll worker for instructions. Poll workers are required to help you any time you ask—even after you’ve entered a voting booth.

Photo ID

• Does Michigan law require me to show photo ID to vote?

No. Michigan law says you can vote by either:

  • showing a photo ID, or

  • signing an affidavit form stating that you do not have a photo ID with you.

 The accepted forms of photo ID under Michigan law include a Michigan driver’s license or personal ID card, a driver’s license from another state, a passport, a federal or military ID with a photo, a student ID with a photo, or a tribal ID with a photo.

• What if I don’t own a photo ID or don’t bring it with me to the polls?

Just ask the poll worker for the affidavit for voters who don’t have ID. You have the right to cast a regular ballot without ID if you sign this form.

• Do I have to show ID if this is my first time voting in Michigan?

Possibly. If you’re a first-time voter in Michigan, federal law may require you to show some form of identification, but only if:

  • you registered to vote by mail or registration drive without filling in the section of the form asking for your driver’s license number, personal ID number, or last 4 digits of your social security number;
  • you didn’t provide some other form of identification when you registered; and
  • you are not disabled, 60 or over, or an overseas voter.

 If the first-time-voter ID requirements apply to you, you can show either a photo ID or another accepted document such as a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck stub, government check, or any other government document that shows your name and address.

If you aren’t able to show any of these documents, you still have the right to cast a “provisional ballot.” That ballot won’t be counted, however, unless you bring ID to your clerk’s office before the close of business on November 14, 2016. If you have time and have ID at home or work, it’s usually better to get your ID and return to the polls to cast a regular ballot.

Problems at the Polls

• What if I’m not on the voter list?

First, ask the poll worker to check the list again and to confirm that you’re at the right polling place. If the poll worker doesn’t find you on the list, you can show your voter ID card or registration receipt that shows it’s your correct precinct and be permitted to vote on a regular ballot.

If you are at the right polling place but your name is not on the voter list and you do not have your voter ID card or registration receipt, then ask for a provisional ballot. You have the right to cast a provisional ballot even if your name isn’t on the voter list, as long as you are willing to swear that you believe you registered to vote.

• What if I go to the wrong polling place?

Go to the right polling place. You can ask a poll worker to help you find the polling place where you are registered. You can also call your city or township clerk or look up your polling place online at http://www.michigan.gov/vote.

If you can’t figure out where you’re registered, go to the polling place you think is most likely to be the right one for you and ask for a provisional ballot. You have the right to cast a provisional ballot even if you are not sure that you are at the right polling place.

• What if someone challenges my right to vote?

Ask to be sworn in and answer whatever questions are necessary to establish your eligibility. Once you truthfully answer questions that show you’re eligible, you have the right to cast a regular ballot.

• What if someone tries to intimidate or harass me?

Tell a poll worker right away. If the poll worker is the problem, tell a poll watcher, call your local clerk, or call one of the election hotline numbers listed below.

• What if I make a mistake on my ballot or the optical scanner malfunctions?

If you make a mistake or spoil your ballot, tell a poll worker before you put it in the optical scanner. You have the right to a replacement ballot as long as you catch your mistake before you put it in the optical scanner. If your ballot is rejected by the optical scanner, ask for a replacement immediately. By law, you have the right to vote another ballot.

• How do I make a complaint?

First, ask the person in charge of your polling place. He or she can handle most routine complaints that arise on Election Day. Candidates, political parties, and nonprofit groups may also have poll watchers outside your polling place who might be able to assist you. If any of these people ask you who you voted for, or if they can’t resolve your complaint, call your local clerk or call the Michigan Bureau of Elections at (517) 373-2540. You can also call one of the election hotline numbers listed below.

Tips for Avoiding Problems

  • Check your voter registration status at least 30 days before the election by going to http://www.michigan.gov/vote or calling your local city or township clerk.
  • Vote before Election Day, using absentee voting, if you are eligible to do so.
  • If you plan to vote at the polls, locate your polling place at least 30 days before the election.Vote early in the day to avoid the last-minute rush.
  • If you have them, bring more than one form of photo ID, and your voter ID card, registration receipt, or any other official documents that show your eligibility to vote.
  • Read all instructions carefully.
  • Ask for help if you need it.
  • Take your time. The board of inspectors may impose a reasonable limit on the time you can remain in the voting booth.
  • To learn about what candidates and ballot questions will be on your ballot before you enter the polls, go to http://www.publius.org or check your local papers.

Additional Information

Election Protection Hotline
(866) OUR-VOTE

Michigan Bureau of Elections
(517) 373-2540

U.S. Department of Justice
(800) 253-3931

ACLU Voting Rights Project
(877) 523-2792

ACLU of Michigan
(313) 578-6800

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