Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Michigan
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Michigan, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Michigan Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Monday, October 19
Computed: online registration is available until 15 days before Election Day.
- Register by mail by
Monday, October 19
Computed: received by or postmarked to the local clerk at least 15 days before Election Day.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, November 3
Within 14 days of the election and on Election Day, register in person at your local clerk's office with proof of residency; anyone in line by 8 p.m. may register.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Register in person at the city or township clerk's office (not at the polling place) through 8 p.m. on Election Day with proof of residency, then vote there by absentee ballot or at your polling place.
- Early voting
Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 1
Computed: the mandatory period begins the second Saturday before Election Day; communities may start earlier (up to 29 days).
- How early voting works
At least nine consecutive days of early in-person voting at your assigned early voting site; some communities offer more days. Look up your site at Michigan.gov/Vote. Voters insert their ballot directly into a tabulator.
- Request a mail ballot by
Friday, October 30
Online or by mail: received by 5 p.m. the Friday before the election. In person at the clerk's office: until 4 p.m. the day before (or 8 p.m. Election Day for voters registering or updating their address that day).
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: by the clerk before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day count if received within 6 days (MCL 168.764a). Absentee voters may also insert their ballot in the tabulator at an early voting site or their polling place.
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Local time. Voters in line at 8 p.m. may vote.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
All registered voters. Voters can join the permanent absentee ballot list to get a ballot for every election.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Completed applications and ballots may be placed in an official drop box.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Domestic absentee ballots received after polls close are not counted. Only military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day count if received within 6 days (by November 9).
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID requested
Voters are asked for photo ID; a voter without one may sign an Affidavit of Voter Not in Possession of Picture Identification and vote a regular ballot.
- What to bring
Bring a photo ID such as a Michigan driver's license or state ID. If you don't have one, you can sign a short affidavit and still vote.
The full list of accepted IDs was not copied here.
When will we know results in Michigan?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. local time (the state spans Eastern and Central time) — 9 p.m. Eastern
8 p.m. Central, in the four western Upper Peninsula counties.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Monday, October 26
Clerks who gave notice to the Secretary of State may process and tabulate absentee ballots on any of the 8 days before Election Day, starting the second Monday before (MCL 168.765a(11)-(12)). Others begin at 7 a.m. on Election Day.
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Monday, October 26
Pre-Election Day tabulation is allowed in participating communities, but inspectors swear not to reveal results, and totals are reported only after polls close.
- Counties finish their count by
Tuesday, November 17
Computed: county boards of canvassers must finish no later than the 14th day after the election (MCL 168.822).
- State certifies results
Monday, November 23
Computed: the Board of State Canvassers must complete its canvass by the 20th day after the election (MCL 168.842).
- Automatic recount
0.1% or less
A statewide recount is required when the certified margin is 0.1% or less of all votes cast in that statewide race (MCL 168.880a).
- Requested recount
Yes: a candidate may petition the Board of State Canvassers; deposit applies
MCL 168.879: a candidate who believes error changed the outcome may petition by 5 p.m. on the second day after the Board of State Canvassers certifies results. MCL 168.881: the petitioner deposits $50 per precinct, rising to $250 per precinct when the margin is more than 50 votes or 0.5%, and $500 per precinct when it is more than 75 votes or 5% (the higher figure in each test). State party chairs may petition in very close legislative races.
- Runoff
No general election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. Mich. Const. art. XII, § 1 (legislative amendments) and § 2 (petition amendments): approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question.
- New governor takes office
Friday, January 1, 2027
Mich. Const. art. XI, § 2: terms of elective state officers begin at noon on the first day of January next succeeding their election. Term begins at noon on January 1, 2027.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Michigan Secretary of State.