Michigan elections FAQ: What to know ahead of Tuesday primary

• Bridge Michigan is answering reader question about 2024 elections
• Readers have asked about voting rules, candidates, election administration and more
• See answers to those questions below

As election season arrives and political debates heat up, Bridge Michigan is inviting readers to ask questions about our purple state as part of our Elections FAQ series, which includes a weekly live video show and written responses. 

Submit your question here. 

Below, you’ll find some of our recent answers ahead of the Tuesday primary, which will help decide Democratic and Republican nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the state House and more. Click the links to learn more.

Question: What’s on my ballot?

Answer: The Secretary of State has a website that displays sample ballots for those who provide the election, county, jurisdiction and precinct. Information on the August election is available now, while November election information will be available this fall. Michigan.gov/vote provides information on registering to vote, getting an absentee ballot and finding your polling place.

Q: Where can I find information about local candidates?

A: It’s not always easy. But with a little perseverance, you can still snag details about candidates for local offices that can help decide whose name to check on election day.

Resources include the League of Women Voters-sponsored website with candidate information on every race you’ll see on your local ballot. That website, vote411.org also features responses from all candidates who answer survey questions issued by the organization.

Q: How can I find candidate donors and financial disclosures?

A: The answers depend on which office you are interested in researching. Both the state and federal government require candidates and elected officials to disclose information about their campaign finances, including donors, as well as at least some information about their personal finances. 

Q: When’s the last day to register to vote?

A: Long story short, you can register to vote in person at your local clerk’s office through Election Day itself – until polls close at 8 p.m. Michigan is one of roughly half of the 50 states that allow same-day voter registration.

Q: How long will it take to report results?

A: This year, under a new law, local election clerks are allowed to process absentee ballots up to eight days before Election Day — and feed them into a tabulator. That should lead to quicker results while maintaining election security, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said this week.

Q: How do clerks verify absentee ballot signatures?

A: Local clerks review and compare the signature on each absentee ballot to the signature on the return envelope and to the voter’s signature on record to confirm its validity, according to Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson Cheri Hardmon. If a local clerk determines that a signature is not valid, the ballot is rejected and the clerk must promptly notify the voter.

Q: Does new recount law bar fraud investigations?

A: Senate Bill 603, passed in July and recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, removed language for partisan canvassers to investigate "fraudulent or illegal voting” during an election recount.  

However, the law still allows election recounts and for criminal investigations of voter fraud. It changes some of the rules for how those processes will occur.

Q: What safeguards exist to prevent double voting?

A: Voting sites have access to the Qualified Voter File, a voter records database that tracks when a ballot is submitted. If a voter who has already cast an absentee ballot tries to vote a second time during the early in-person voting period, for instance, the Qualified Voter File would show that, and the voter would not be issued a second ballot, according to the Secretary of State. 

Q: Are noncitizens registered to vote when obtaining state ID?

A: Under current Michigan law, a person must provide documents showing their citizenship status – such as their birth certificate, social security number or passport – in order to obtain their license or state ID. And the Secretary of State’s computerized license application system only allows U.S. citizens to become registered voters.

Q: Are there more registered voters than eligible voters?

A: In June, state data showed Michigan had 8.3 million registered voters, while U.S. Census Bureau estimates Michigan had 7.9 million citizens of voting age in 2023. Imperfect data, federal rules and state laws restricting immediate cancellation of voter registrations have all contributed to the bloat.

The main cause is that there’s no national record of voter information — every state is on their own. So when a voter moves to another state or stops voting, the information often isn’t updated quickly.

Q: Where can I find rules local officials must follow?

A: On this page, scroll down to the “Election Officials’ Manual/ Accreditation Study Guide” section, where you can find the state’s 18-chapter election manual, which explains Michigan election rules, from how voting equipment should be prepared to how ballots should be sealed when polls close. 

Q: How are absentee ballot drop boxes monitored?

A: Municipalities must have video monitoring on their drop boxes within 75 days of an election under a bipartisan law passed in 2020.

However, because video systems cost money and take time to install, municipalities have until 2026 to add them to older drop boxes installed before the 2020 law. New drop boxes automatically require video monitoring.

Q: Are Republicans running as fake Democrats?

A: There is nothing to stop candidates from running under the banner of a party they do not affiliate with. A Bridge investigation of major party state House candidates found a couple instances of candidates with Republican backgrounds running in state House races as Democrats. But a broader investigation did not immediately reveal an organized effort.

Q: Will ‘good time’ off prisoner proposal be on ballot?

A: Beginning in August 2023, the nonprofit Michigan Justice Advocacy began collecting signatures for a petition to establish a “good time” credit system for prisoners, subtracting 30 days from a prisoner’s sentence for every 30 days they did not commit a serious violation of written rules. MJA did not file required signatures in time, meaning the “good time” measure will not be on the November 2024 ballot. 

Bridge Michigan is answering reader questions through our elections FAQ series. Ask your own question here. And sign up now to join Bridge reporters for a post-primary live show on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 11:30 a.m.