Citizens can register to vote online or by mail through October 24.
Absentee ballots for the November 8 general elections are being mailed to voters who already requested them. All eligible Michigan voters can pick up ballots at their local clerk’s office or request a ballot online up to the Friday before Election Day.
Ballots must be mailed by October 24, but can be dropped off in person until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a press release that Michigan absentee ballots are just as secure as other voting methods.
“Michigan citizens have options to vote, including the right to vote by mail, the right to vote early with an absentee ballot, and the right to vote at their polling place on Election Day,” she said. “Every option is secure and all valid votes will be counted fairly and accurately.”
In 2018, 66.8% of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that gives citizens the right to vote absentee without providing a reason. The amendment also allows citizens to register up to and on Election Day at their local clerk’s office.
Angela Benander, communications chief for Benson, said the amendment has increased the number of absentee voters in recent elections.
“[Absentee voting] is convenient. A lot of people like that they can take the time to research candidates and ballot initiatives, and vote at their own pace. They don’t have to wait in lines or worry about a work schedule that would keep them from the polling places,” Benander said. “Since that constitutional amendment was passed, about half of the ballots cast in the general election in 2020 and about half in the primary that we had in August were absentee ballots.”
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