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This is based on an article from Bridge Michigan, Michigan's nonpartisan, nonprofit news source, “How to vote early in the November election in Michigan”, by Riley Beggin, 9/22/20
Voting by absentee ballot is already underway in Michigan. Jocelyn Benson, the Michigan Secretary of State, estimates that nearly 3 million Michiganders will vote absentee for the November 3rd, 2020 election, due in part to the expansion of voting rights put in place by a 2018 constitutional amendment that gave all Michiganders the right to vote by mail.
President Trump has been railing against early voting and claiming that if he loses, it will be because of voter fraud caused by mail-in voting. There is no basis for this claim and no one should give up their voting rights because of it. Voting on Election Day (with or without an absentee ballot dropped off at your local clerk’s office) is also an option, although the Covid-19 pandemic has made absentee voting more appealing to vulnerable populations.
You can find out your current status as a Michigan voter at the Secretary of State’s Voter information Website.
Here are excerpts from the Michigan Bridge article:
Step 1: Check your voter registration.
“…All Michigan residents over the age of 18, who are U.S. citizens, who aren’t currently serving a sentence in jail or prison, and who will have lived in the state for at least 30 days by Election Day are eligible to vote. If you have a misdemeanor or felony conviction and have finished your sentence or are being held in jail awaiting trial, you are still eligible to vote. “
[Check to see if you are currently registered. If you are not, you can register to vote on-line until October 19, 2020.]
…“To vote absentee in person, check the hours your local clerk’s office is open and go in. You can apply for an absentee ballot, fill it out and submit it all in one visit until 4 p.m. on Nov. 2.
“If you’re registering for the first time, you can register and cast an in-person absentee ballot on Election Day, Nov. 3”
Step 2: Apply for an absentee ballot.
“Apply online for an absentee ballot to be sent to you in the mail any time before 5 p.m. Oct. 30. You can also download an application, fill it out and return it to your clerk by email, mail, fax or in person. “
[There may be delays in mail delivery, so apply for an absentee ballot in person and hand deliver it to your clerk’s office.]
Step 3: Choose your candidates.
“You don’t have to wait until you get your ballot to begin learning about who is running. See a full list of candidates by entering your voter information here. “
[Another source of voter information comes from the non-partisan League of Women Voters, Vote411 election Information Website. Read the directions on your absentee ballot carefully and make sure you look at the back of the ballot for more election choices.]
Step 4: Sign your ballot envelope.
“Put your ballot inside the secrecy sleeve. Then put that inside the larger envelope. If you forget to include the secrecy sleeve, it’s OK. Election officials will put it in a secrecy sleeve when they take it out to begin processing ballots.
“Be sure to sign the outside of the envelope in the big box indicated for signatures. “
[Follow the instructions carefully]
Step 5: Return your ballot to your clerk.
“There are three options for getting your ballot back to your clerk:
- Drop it in a ballot drop box
- Mail it back
- Take it to your clerk’s office
“To drop your ballot in a drop box, first check to see whether your city has them. Visit this website, choose 'who is my clerk?' and enter your address under 'search for your city/township clerk.' Only drop your ballot in drop boxes belonging to the city you received a ballot from. For example, if you’re voting in Ann Arbor, don’t drop your ballot in a Detroit drop box.”
[Avoid mail delays and hand-deliver your ballot to your clerk’s office.]
Step 6: Make sure your clerk received your ballot.
"You can check whether your clerk received your voter application, whether they sent it, and whether they received it online here."
Step 7: If you change your mind or made a mistake, spoil and recast your ballot.
“If you made a mistake, changed your mind, or your ballot looks like it won’t reach your clerk in time, you may want to 'spoil' your ballot and cast a new one. Spoiling a ballot is the same as canceling the old one. “
...”The latest you can spoil a ballot is 4 p.m. on Nov. 2, the day before the election. If you spoil your ballot at the last minute, ask your clerk what your options are to cast your vote. “
Step 8: Celebrate
"If you’ve made it through all of the above steps, it’s time to celebrate — you’ve voted in the 2020 general election."
