Local elections offices will begin mailing absentee ballots to Michigan voters on Thursday, Sept. 24, the start date for early voting. Voters who have requested absentee ballots can also pick them up at to their local clerk’s office.
Anyone can request an absentee ballot in Michigan without an excuse. Voters can fill out the application online or by hand, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot in Michigan is Friday, October 30.
Michigan does use signature matching, meaning that absentee ballots won’t be counted unless the signature on the return envelope matches the one on file at the elections office.
Michiganders have until Nov. 2 to mail back their ballots, or 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to return them in person.
A recent major court decision will allow properly postmarked Michigan absentee ballots to be counted days after the election. Absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 are eligible to be counted if they arrive within 14 days after the Nov. 3 election. In making the decision, a judge noted chronic delays with mail during the coronavirus pandemic. Republican lawmakers are seeking to appeal the judge’s decision.
The deadline to register to vote in Michigan is Monday, October 19.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo
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