To register to vote, you must be at least 18 years old by Election Day and be a U.S. resident.  You must also be a resident of Michigan and of the city or township in which you wish to register. 

Voters may register in person or by mail.   

To check your registration status, visit the Michigan Election and Voter Information.  Residents will be able to find information on voting by absentee ballot, using voting equipment, and how to contact your local clerk.  You can also find a map to your local polling place, as well as view and print out a sample ballot. 

Michigan does have a voter identification requirement at the polls. Voters are asked to present an acceptable photo ID such as a Michigan driver's license or identification card. Please note that voters who do not have an acceptable form of ID or failed to bring it with them to the polls can still vote. They simply sign a brief affidavit stating that they're not in possession of a photo ID. The affidavit is located on the reverse side of the Application to vote. Their ballots are included with all others and counted on Election Day. 

Any voter may vote by absentee ballot. 

You can register to vote through Election Day 

You must show proof of where you live. Documents must have your name and current address. You can show a digital copy of any document. Acceptable documents include: 

After registering, you can request an absentee voter ballot online or at the clerk’s office or you can vote at your polling place on Election Day. 

Military and overseas civilian voters have additional options to register. For more information, visit this page. 

To be eligible to register to vote you must be: 

Voters may request an absent voter ballot by completing an online application at Michigan.gov/Vote. Alternatively you may request an absent voter ballot in writing and submit it to your city or township clerk, (For assistancthe address of your city or township clerk, see Michigan.gov/Vote) You must request an absent voter ballot by submitting the application, large print application, a letter, a postcard, or a pre-printed application form obtained from your local clerk's office. Requests may be returned by hand, via postal mail, fax, or email, as long as a signature is visible.  

Requests to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you must be received by your clerk no later than 5 p.m. the Friday before the election. If you’re already registered at your current address, you can request an absent voter ballot in person at your clerk’s office anytime up to 4 p.m. on the day prior to the election. If you’re registering to vote or updating your address by appearing at your clerk’s office on Election Day, you can request an absent voter ballot at the same time you register. If you request your AV ballot the day before the election or on Election Day, you must vote the ballot in the clerk's office.  

Once your request is received by the local clerk, your signature on the request will be checked against your voter registration record before a ballot is issued. You must be a registered voter to receive an absent voter ballot, but you can register and apply for an absent voter ballot at the same time.  Requests for absent voter ballots are processed immediately. Absent voter ballots may be issued to you at your home address or any address outside of your city or township of residence. 

After receiving your absent voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk's office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance voting the ballot, then the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member or person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absent voter ballot to your clerk's office. 

If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on Election Day, you may request an emergency absent voter ballot. Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular absent voter ballots has passed but before 4 p.m. on Election Day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absent voter ballot. Please contact your local clerk for more information about emergency absent voter ballots. 

 Spoiling an absent voter ballot 

If a voter has already voted absentee and wishes to change their vote (because the candidate has dropped out of the race, or for any other reason), a voter can spoil their ballot by submitting a written request to their city or township clerk. The voter must sign the request and state if they would like a new absentee ballot mailed to them or if they will vote at the polls. This request must be received by 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election if received by mail. An absentee ballot may be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to the election. The voter can obtain a new absentee ballot there or vote at the polls. There is no option on Election Day to spoil an absentee ballot that has been received by the clerk.