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National Voter Registration Day: How to register to vote in Michigan

Voting booths
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Tuesday, Sept. 19 is National Voter Registration Day, and voters in Michigan made it easier to register to vote throughout the state in 2018.

The state has a five-step process to register to vote in Michigan. You can register any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day in-person, but if you're registering another way, you register at least 15 days before the election.

Here's the five-step process:

Step 1: Verify you are eligible

To be eligible, you must be:

  • A Michigan resident at the time you register and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days when you vote.
  • A U.S. citizen
  • At least 18 years old when you vote
  • Not currently serving a jail or prison sentence
  • You can register when you are 17.5 years old but can't vote until you're 18.

Step 2: Fill out an application

You can register by any of these methods

  • Online at Michigan.gov/VoterRegistration
  • At a Secretary of State branch office
  • At your city or township clerk’s office or your county clerk’s office
  • At any state agency that provides public assistance or services to people with disabilities
  • By mailing in a completed voter registration application postmarked at least 15 days before the election; or,
  • Through a voter registration drive

Within 14 days before the election, all applications must be submitted to your local city or township clerk’s office in person.

Step 3: Submit your application

You can submit your application online, hand-deliver it in person or submit it via mail.

Step 4: City/Township clerk processes application

Your city or township clerk will send you a voter registration card upon processing your application. Keep it in your wallet or purse so you know where to go to cast your ballot. For directions and a map to your polling place, visit Michigan.gov/Vote.

Step 5: You're registered!