Voters across northern Michigan may see shorter lines at polling places on Tuesday than in previous general elections. As a local news report described, lines around the region may not be as long as in the past due to a generous use of absentee ballots and early in-person voting throughout the area.
State election officials reported on Monday that more than 2.3 million Michigan voters have already cast their ballots ahead of Tuesday’s general election. That early turnout accounts for 31.2% of the state’s 7.4 million active registered voters.
According to a news release from state election officials, the early participation total includes 743,450 people who cast their ballots at early voting sites during the state’s nine-day early voting period. In addition, nearly 1.5 million voters completed and returned absentee ballots prior to Election Day. State records show that Sunday marked the single busiest day of the entire early voting period, with voters casting 114,420 ballots on that day alone.
With early in-person voting now concluded, state officials are directing their focus toward voters planning to cast ballots on Election Day. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie urged residents who have not yet voted to look up their specific polling location at mi.gov/vote and make plans to cast their ballots on Tuesday.
Polling places throughout Michigan will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning and remain open until 8 p.m. Tuesday evening. State election rules dictate that any voter who is standing in line at their designated polling location by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote.
For residents holding unreturned absentee ballots, the Michigan Department of State issued explicit instructions regarding how to ensure those votes are tallied. State officials stated that voters should not return absentee ballots by mail at this stage, noting that it is too close to Election Day for postal delivery to guarantee timely arrival.
Instead of mailing completed ballots, the Michigan Department of State advised voters who have received but not yet returned an absentee ballot to take it directly to an official ballot drop box located within their jurisdiction. Alternatively, voters may hand deliver their absentee ballot directly to their local city or township clerk’s office. Voters also have the option to bring their unreturned mail ballot with them to their designated polling site on Election Day.
Timing remains critical for all absentee votes. State election rules specify that absentee ballots must be physically delivered to a local clerk’s office or deposited into an official municipal drop box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday in order to be counted. The only exceptions to this deadline are military and overseas ballots, which follow separate submission timelines under state law.
For individuals who are eligible to vote but have not yet registered, state law still provides an avenue to participate in the general election. Unregistered residents may register to vote up to and on Election Day by visiting their local city or township clerk’s office in person. To complete the registration process, individuals must provide valid proof of residency. State procedures allow eligible residents to register and cast their ballot during the same visit to the clerk’s office.
