It’s almost Election Day in Michigan when voters across the state will head to the polls to weigh in on the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. But if you’ve already filled out and returned your absentee ballot, you may be wondering whether your ballot was received by your local clerk.
There’s a tool for that. The Secretary of State Office’s voter information center available at Michigan.gov/Vote provides a way to track your absentee ballot. Just click on “Your voter information” at the top of the website, enter your information and you’ll see the status of your absentee ballot.
Michigan’s new statewide absentee ballot tracking tool
In 2022, Michigan voters adopted an amendment to the state constitution requiring a state-funded system for tracking absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots. The tracking system includes information regarding any problem with the ballot — such as a missing signature on the ballot envelope — and instructions for addressing it.
The amendment also requires the tracking system to enable voters to receive electronic notifications updating them on the status of the application and ballot. The electronic notification won’t be available for the presidential primary, but will be in place for the August primary and November general elections, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Where can you drop off your absentee ballot?
If you haven’t already returned your absentee ballot, you can hand-deliver it to your clerk’s office (be sure to check their hours) or via a secure ballot drop box. You have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to return it.
For the first time, voters also were able to return their ballot to an early voting center and place it into the tabulator. Early voting ended Sunday. Or, they can take it to their polling location on Election Day on Tuesday.
You can find your clerk’s office, ballot drop box, early voting and polling locations at Michigan.gov/Vote by clicking on “Your voter information” and inputting your details.
Michigan presidential primary: How to vote early in Michigan
What should I do if my ballot hasn’t arrived?
If you’ve returned your absentee ballot using the postal service or a drop box and the tracking system indicates your ballot has not arrived, there’s still time for your local clerk to receive it before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots must be collected from drop boxes on any day the clerk’s office is open for business.
If you wake up on Election Day and your ballot has still not arrived, you can go to your polling location and sign a statement stating that the ballot was lost or destroyed and vote at the polls. An election worker will call the local clerk to verify that your absentee ballot has not been returned. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Looking for more on Michigan’s elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.
Contact Clara Hendrickson: [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.
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