Michigan elections FAQ: ‘Voting season’ begins this week

• In new Michigan elections FAQ episode, Bridge reporters discuss absentee voting and how political parties will ‘chase’ your ballot
• Absentee ballots go out later this week. Michigan GOP is officially embracing the option despite Trump claims about mail-in voting
• Reporters also discuss why Kamala Harris visited Oakland County, and why Donald Trump is returning to Michigan this week

Welcome to the November general election — in September. 

As host Isabel Lohman noted in this week's Bridge Michigan elections FAQ live show, "voting season" officially begins this week. That's because local clerks on Thursday will begin sending out absentee ballots, which roughly 3.3 million voters utilized in 2020. It’s expected to be popular again this fall.

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Democrats have embraced absentee voting and could again have a leg up in that department because the state party has built up a "ballot chase" program to keep track of which voters have already turned theirs in. It's a little more complicated for the Michigan Republican Party. 

Watch the full show below to hear why:

As reporter Simon Schuster noted, Michigan GOP officials are publicly urging voters to "bank" their absentee votes early, but presidential nominee Donald Trump isn’t making that job easy. He has "decried" and "discredited" mail-in voting as recently as this year. 

Why does it matter? 

In a close election, absentee ballot chase programs could make a meaningful difference.

"Both the parties can check whether someone's received an absentee ballot and whether they've turned it in," Schuster noted. "And so if you get your base — your reliable supporters — to do all of that, then … you can spend all your precious resources trying to get those persuadable voters — those folks who really you want to pull out of the woodwork and bring you over the line." 

Absentee is among a growing list of voting options for Michiganders.

As reporter Lauren Gibbons noted, Michigan voters are now also guaranteed at least nine days of early in-person voting. That’s set to begin in most parts of the state on October 19. 

"Polling locations for early voting operate very similarly to Election Day polling places," Gibbons explained. "Essentially, it's the same process as if you were to go in and vote on Election Day. It is very important to check, though, where your early voting location is, as that may be different from your Election Day precinct polling place."

That was just the first four minutes of the show. Watch the full episode to hear reporters also discuss: 

• The potential impact of Trump tariff proposals
• The importance of suburban voters in areas like Oakland County, where Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is banking on support
• Trump, Harris plans to lower the cost of college
• Michigan activity by Elon Musk's pro-Trump super PAC
• What the state does to prevent non-citizens from voting, rules for guns at polling places and how absentee-ballot drop boxes are monitored

This free, online event was part of our Michigan elections FAQ series that aims to engage and inform readers about critical contests that will help shape the direction of our state and country. 

Join us for our next show Monday, Sept. 30, at 11:30 a.m. Sign up now, and ask your question about Michigan elections here.