Michigan voters who are voting absentee for the Nov. 8 general election are being urged to hand-deliver their completed ballots to avoid postal delays.
With Election Day so close, postal delays could prevent absentee ballots from reaching their destinations on time.
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Instead of mailing a completed absentee ballot to your local clerk’s office, your ballot can either be hand-delivered to your local clerk’s office, or dropped off in an official ballot drop box. Voters can only use drop boxes in their jurisdiction -- absentee ballots cannot just be dropped off anywhere.
Luckily, most communities have several official drop boxes available to their voters.
You can find a ballot drop box in your jurisdiction on the state’s website right here.
Michigan absentee ballots must be received by local clerks’ offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 8, in this case). Ballots that are not received by the deadline will not be counted in the election.
On Nov. 8, registered Michigan voters will cast their votes for the state’s next governor, attorney general and secretary of state, among many other local races. Michiganders will also be voting on three proposals that address term limits for certain political offices, voting rights and reproductive rights.
Know before you vote: Michigan Voter Guide 2022: Get to know key races, ballot proposals before voting
Voting in Michigan has been underway for weeks with absentee voting and early in-person voting. According to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office, as of Tuesday, more than 1.1 million absentee ballots had already been returned ahead of Election Day. Nearly two million absentee ballots had been requested as of that time -- a reported “73% increase from the number of absentee ballots requested one week ahead of the 2018 midterm election,” Benson’s office said.
With so many Michigan voters choosing to vote absentee, election results are expected to be completed the day after Election Day. SOS Benson said Thursday, Nov. 3, that election results for all races across the state are expected to be in by the afternoon or evening on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
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.
Read more: Inside look: How WDIV collects, reports election results, what to expect