Michigan primary Election Day: What you need to know
- Michigan’s primary election is Tuesday. Polls open at 7 a.m. and residents can vote as long as they are in line by 8 p.m.
- You can still register to vote in person on Election Day, but it’s too late to mail in absentee ballots
- Absentee ballots can be dropped off at either a township or county clerk’s office, or at a drop box
Michigan voters heading to the polls for Tuesday’s primary election will decide Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and state House, along local races and ballot measures.
Related: Michigan’s ‘queen of ag’ is retiring, risking Democratic U.S. Senate seat
Check out the Michigan Voter Guide for more information, read about top races to watch, track live election results on Tuesday night and join Bridge Michigan political reporters for live analysis Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
When are polls open?
In-person Election Day voting begins Tuesday at 7 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. Residents in line before 8 p.m. can still vote. If you’re unsure where your polling location is, you can look it up here.
You’ll be asked to show photo identification, such as a driver's license or state ID, a U.S. passport, a Military ID, student ID from a high school or college or a tribal identification card.
You can still vote if you don’t have an ID but will be required to sign an affidavit attesting to your identity.
How to find your polling place
Before heading out to vote, you can check the location of your polling place to make sure it hasn’t changed. Voters can also look up if their voter registration is current.
What if I still have an absentee ballot?
If you still have your absentee ballot, it’s too late to mail it. Absentee ballots must be received by your county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. To ensure your ballot is counted, you can put it in a dropbox or drive it to your township or county clerk’s office. Look up nearby drop boxes here.
How to register to vote on Election Day
Michigan now allows same-day voter registration. So if you haven’t already registered, you can still do so at your local township or city clerk’s office until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
To be eligible to vote in Michigan, you must:
- Be a citizen of the U.S.
- Have lived in the city or township you are registering in for at least 30 days before the election
- Not be serving a jail or prison sentence
- At least 18 years old
You’ll need to verify eligibility to register to vote by showing a Michigan driver's license or state ID, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check, or any other government document.
After eligibility is verified, you’ll submit an application to be processed by the city clerk.
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