How to Register, Vote and Track Your Ballot in Michigan

En español | Michigan will require at least nine days of early voting for statewide and federal elections starting in 2024. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2022 to allow the change.

The next statewide elections will be held in 2024, although there will be some local elections in 2023. Michigan will hold its presidential primary on February 27, 2024. The next primary for statewide offices is Aug. 6, 2024 and the general election is Nov. 5, 2024.

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• Upcoming elections: When available, information about future elections can be found at the Michigan Department of State's website.

• Absentee voting: All registered voters can request a no-excuse absentee ballot.

• Early in-person voting: Starting in 2024, Michigan will require at least nine days of early voting, although some communities may offer it in 2023. Michiganders can also vote early and in person by going to their local election clerk’s office and filling out an absentee ballot.

• Voting in person on Election Day: You'll be asked to show photo ID when voting in person, though you can fill out additional paperwork at the polls if you forget to bring it with you.

Michigan passed a series of laws in 2023 to implement changes voters approved in a November 2022 ballot initiative. Starting with the 2024 presidential primary, the state will require at least nine days of early voting for all statewide and federal elections, but communities may offer up to 29 days.

Additional laws expand the list of acceptable photo IDs and make it easier to vote by absentee ballot. Laws taking effect in 2024 will:

• Require the state to fund drop boxes and prepaid stamps for absentee ballots
• Require military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if it is received up to six days after an election
• Allow voters to apply once for absentee ballots for all future elections
• Establish a website for tracking ballots
• Allow voters to correct errors on their absentee ballots or ballot applications, such as a missing or mismatched signature 

Also, redistricting in 2021 changed certain boundaries of some state legislative and U.S. congressional districts. To find your legislative district and polling location, visit Michigan.gov/vote. The redrawn maps are being challenged in court. Check back for updates.

• Online: If you have a valid Michigan driver's license or state ID, you can use the state’s voter registration portal to register or check your registration status. Online registration ends 14 days before an election.

• By mail: Print a voter registration form, complete it and mail it to your local election clerk’s office. You can also pick up an application from the clerk’s office, a department of state branch office, a state public assistance agency or from a voter registration drive.

• In person: Go to your local clerk’s office. Be sure to bring an acceptable form of ID that proves your residency, like a state driver’s license or a copy of a paycheck stub or utility bill. You can register to vote at your local election clerk’s office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, but you may want to leave yourself more time to cast your ballot.

Use the state’s voter information portal to check if you're registered to vote.

Not in Michigan. Voters participating in the primaries can choose only one party’s ballot.

Any registered voter can request a no-excuse absentee ballot. You can apply for an absentee ballot:

• Online: Fill out an absentee ballot request form on the Michigan secretary of state’s website.
  
• By mail: Download, print and complete a ballot application from the state’s voter information portal. Send it to your local election clerk’s office. You can also call your clerk’s office to ask that they mail you a ballot application.
  
• In person: Visit your local election clerk’s office to pick up and complete an application or return a completed form you downloaded from the state’s voter information portal.

Return completed ballots by mail or in person. You can return someone else’s ballot if you’re their immediate family member, someone who lives in their household, a mail carrier or an authorized election official. Election officials must receive ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day

• By mail: Sign and seal your completed ballot and mail it to your local election clerk’s office. But if you’re returning your ballot within two weeks of Election Day, officials recommend filling out the application in person at your local election clerk’s office to avoid potential postal delays.

• In person: Drop off your completed ballot at your local clerk’s office or at a secure drop box.

Use the state’s voter portal to track the status of your absentee ballot. 

In the event of an emergency, such as an unexpected illness or death in the family, you may be able to request an emergency absentee ballot by contacting your local election clerk’s office before 4 p.m. on Election Day.

Starting with the 2024 presidential primary you will have at least nine days — and up to 29 days, depending on where you live — to vote in person before all statewide and federal elections. You’ll be able to cast your ballot at an early voting site, similar to how you would vote on Election Day. Check the Michigan Department of State website for more information when it becomes available.

Some communities may offer early voting for local elections in 2023, so check with your local election clerk’s office.

You can also vote early and in person by going to your local election clerk’s office and filling out an absentee ballot.

You will still be able to cast a ballot after polls close as long as you were already in line. Use the state's voter information portal to find a polling place near you. 

If you are voting in person, you’ll be asked to show an acceptable form of ID, like a state driver’s license or U.S. passport. If you forget or don’t have an ID, you’ll be allowed to vote but will need to fill out additional paperwork to verify your identity and explain why you don’t have the necessary documents.

A law passed in 2023 expands the list of acceptable identification to include photo IDs issued by local governments or by any valid educational institution. Previously, student IDs needed to be from a high school or accredited higher learning institution.

Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Sept. 5, 2023, with new information about voting in Michigan. The guide was first published on July 30, 2020.

• Follow AARP's political coverage at aarp.org/elections  
• Keep up with local events and AARP advocacy efforts at aarp.org/mi