Registering to Vote: Step 1 – Am I Eligible?
You can register to vote through Election Day
Some clerk’s offices have opened satellite offices for voter registration. 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:
- Michigan driver’s license or State ID card
- Current utility bill
- Bank statement
- Paycheck or government check
- Other government document
After registering, you can vote an absent voter ballot 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:
- A Michigan resident (at the time you register) and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote)
- A United States citizen
- At least 18 years of age (when you vote)
- Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison
Check to see if you are registered.
If you are already registered, your voting record has links to:
- Your sample ballot
- Your polling place address for voting on Election Day
- Tracking the status of your absentee ballot
- How to contact your clerk
Registering to Vote: Step 2 – Fill Out An Application
Individuals using any other method must register to vote at least 15 days before Election Day and are not required to provide proof of residency. Other methods of registration include an application obtained at one of the following locations:
- Download a voter registration application
- Your local Secretary of State branch office
- Your local county, city, or township clerk’s office
- Offices of several state agencies, like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Military recruitment centers
- Voter registration drives
Michigan law states that the same address must be used for voter registration and driver’s license purposes. That means, if the residence address you provide on the application differs from the address shown on a driver’s license or personal identification card issued by the state of Michigan, the Secretary of State will automatically change your driver’s license or personal ID card address to match the residence address entered on this form. If a change is made, the Secretary of State will mail you an address update sticker for your driver’s license or personal ID card.
If you are living outside the U.S., you may send a Federal Postcard Application to register to vote. This application is distributed through U.S. embassies and military bases. It also serves as a way to request an absentee ballot.
Registering to Vote: Step 3- Submit Your Application
If you hand-deliver your application, the staff person helping you will take your form and you don’t need to do anything else.
If you have never registered to vote in Michigan and choose to mail in your application, you will need to meet an identification requirement. This means you must:
- Enter your driver’s license number or personal identification card number where requested on the form. OR
- Send a copy of ONE of the following forms of identification with your application:
- A photocopy of your driver’s license or personal ID card, or
- A photocopy of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank document or government document that lists both your name and your address.
NEVER SEND AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT!
Registering to Vote: Step 4- City/Township Clerk Processes Application
Your city or township clerk will send you a voter registration card upon processing your application. Keep it in your wallet or purse so you know where to go to cast your ballot.
For directions and a map to your polling place, visit www.Michigan.gov/vote.
Registering to Vote: Step 5- You are Registered!
Your city or township clerk will send you a voter registration card upon processing your application. Keep it in your wallet or purse so you know where to go to cast your ballot.
For directions and a map to your polling place, visit www.Michigan.gov/vote.
