Election Day is less than a week away in Michigan, and at least one million voters have already submitted their ballots to be counted.
Voting has been underway in Michigan for several weeks with absentee and early in-person voting. According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, nearly 2 million voters in the state have requested an absentee ballot for the Nov. 8 general election -- a “73% increase from the number of absentee ballots requested one week ahead of the 2018 midterm election.”
Recommended Videos
As of Tuesday, Nov. 1, about 1.1 million voters had already submitted their ballots, officials said. That number rose from the more than 770,000 mail-in ballots returned as of Oct. 25.
All registered Michigan voters are eligible to request an absentee ballot for any election. Voters must fill out an application in order to receive an absentee ballot.
An absent voter ballot is submitted to the voter’s local clerk’s office, where it will remain until it is opened and counted after 8 p.m. on Election Day. All absent voter ballots must be received by the local clerk’s office before 8 p.m. on Election Day, or else they will not be counted.
With only days left, those voting absentee are now being urged to hand-deliver their completed general election ballot either directly to their local clerk’s office, or to an official drop box location in their jurisdiction. Officials say that sending your completed ballot by mail so close to the election is risky, as it may not arrive on time.
Voters are only allowed to drop off their absentee ballot at a drop box in their jurisdiction -- voters cannot just drop off their ballot anywhere.
Click here to track your Michigan absentee ballot once it’s been submitted.
If you have not requested an absent voter ballot for the Nov. 8 election, but wish to vote absentee: Registered Michigan voters can request, complete and submit an absentee ballot for the Nov. 8 election in one visit to their local clerk’s office anytime before 4 p.m. on Nov 7.
Residents can also vote in person at their polling place on Nov. 8. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Election Day.
Click here to find your polling precinct.
More: Michigan Voter Guide 2022: Get to know key races, ballot proposals before voting