LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan voters are beginning to receive absentee ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, with thousands of ballots scheduled to go out in the first major mailing Friday.
The Lansing City Clerk’s Office said more than 23,000 absentee ballots are scheduled to be mailed Sept. 25, providing an early look at the broader absentee voting process underway across Michigan.
The initial mailing primarily includes voters enrolled on Lansing’s Permanent Mail Ballot list. Under Michigan’s absentee voting system, voters can choose to receive an absentee ballot for every election rather than submitting a new request each time.
Michigan voters do not have to provide a reason to vote absentee.
Voters who receive an absentee ballot can return it by mail, use an authorized ballot drop box or return it in person through an appropriate election location.
The Lansing ballots being mailed Friday include prepaid postage, meaning voters returning those ballots by mail do not need to purchase a stamp. Other Michigan jurisdictions provide their own instructions for returning absentee ballots, so voters should follow the directions included with their ballot.
Completed ballots must be received by the applicable local election officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Michigan also offers early in-person voting before Election Day.
Early voting for the November general election is scheduled to begin Oct. 24. Local election officials will determine the specific locations and hours available to voters in their jurisdictions.
The state’s absentee voting system allows Michigan residents to review their ballots at home and return them before Election Day. Voters using absentee ballots should follow all instructions carefully, including signing the required portion of the ballot before returning it.
Election officials also recommend that voters who plan to return their ballots by mail allow enough time for delivery rather than waiting until Election Day.
The first large mailing in Lansing is primarily serving voters already enrolled in the city’s Permanent Mail Ballot list, but absentee voting is available to eligible Michigan voters statewide.
Voters who are not already receiving absentee ballots can obtain information about requesting one through their local clerk’s office.
Michigan’s election system is administered locally, so ballot drop-box locations, early voting sites and other procedures can vary depending on where a voter lives.
The Nov. 3 general election will include races and ballot questions across Michigan, with absentee voting and early voting giving residents options to cast their ballots before Election Day.
