Absentee Voter Ballots

Absentee ballot applications are used to ensure the identity of the voter requesting a ballot by mail. The application collects personal information and requires a signature that is verified using voter registration data in the Qualified Voter File. By sending absentee applications, local Clerks are able to update voter information to make sure that when it’s time to send ballots, those ballots are only sent to verified voters.

You may have received multiple absentee ballot applications in the mail. Political parties, interest groups, candidates and even individuals are allowed to print and distribute absentee ballot applications. The groups that send out these applications are using outdated information and they do not know if you have already received or submitted an application. Even though you may receive multiple applications, you will only receive one ballot.

If you receive mail, email or text messages that you believe to be fraudulent or in error, please report those to our Office at countyclerk@livgov.com or (517) 546-8177.

Our qualified voter list is constantly changing. Despite our best efforts, residents don’t always tell us when they move and death notices may lag, causing inaccuracies to occasionally develop. If you receive an application for someone who no longer lives at your address, please mark the envelope as “Not at this Address” or “Return to Sender” and place it back in the mail. This will assist us in the process of updating our voter list .

Once information is received that a voter may no longer reside at the address listed on their voter record, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires Election Officials to follow a multi-step voter notification process before the voter registration can be cancelled. Election Officials at the county and local level use a number of tools to keep their lists accurate. Due to Michigan connecting their drivers license file to their qualified voter file, when a voter changes their address on their Michigan drivers license, their voter registration address is automatically updated, increasing record accuracy. Election Officials also utilize the National Change of Address (NCOA) database through the U.S. Postal Service to verify if someone has moved. Additionally, in 2019 Michigan became a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a multi-state coalition that compares voter registration data to improve the accuracy of each state’s voter registration database. If a Michigan voter registers to vote in another state, local Election Officials are notified and the voter is removed from Michigan’s rolls.

An application for an absentee ballot must be submitted to the correct City or Township Clerk before a ballot can be issued to a voter. The application must include a signature that matches the voter’s signature on file in order to issue a ballot. Forging someone else’s signature or providing other false information on an application for an absentee ballot is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

If you receive mail, email or text messages that you believe to be fraudulent or in error, please report those to our Office at countyclerk@livgov.com or (517) 546-8177.

If you’re unsure about the status of your Absentee Ballot Application, or the status of the ballot itself, visit michigan.gov/vote. There, you can view voter information, including:

• Are you registered?
• Has your Absentee Ballot Application been received?
• Has your ballot been mailed?
• Has your ballot been received?
• Who is your local City or Township Clerk?

In Michigan, all ballots must be received by a local Clerk or in a drop box when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day regardless of the postmark date. Any ballot with a postmark date before or on Election Day will not be counted unless it is delivered to the local Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m.

In 2019, the Secretary of State’s Office, in partnership with USPS, redesigned absentee ballot envelopes to improve the flow of envelopes in the mail. All absentee ballot envelopes are color coordinated and have specific markings on them to help ensure envelopes do not get lost. Any voter can track their ballot status at michigan.gov/vote. Voters can also turn in their absentee ballot in-person or at your local Clerk’s drop box.

Example of Absentee Ballot Envelopes