Early voting starts Oct. 24, while absentee ballots must reach clerks or authorized drop boxes by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Clerks have outlined ID and envelope requirements.
The West Bloomfield Public Library's Main Branch will host voters in its meeting room. Residents of Farmington and Farmington Hills will vote at the Costick Activities Center. Oakland County's early-voting period runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1.
Michigan requires nine consecutive days of statewide early voting, with sites open at least eight hours each day. Local election officials set the exact hours and locations. Check the assigned site and schedule through the Michigan Department of State's early-voting lookup before heading out.
Sites are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday and Friday. Thursday hours are noon to 8 p.m.
Where to vote early
West Bloomfield voters can use the meeting room at the West Bloomfield Public Library's Main Branch, 4600 Walnut Lake Road. Farmington and Farmington Hills residents can go to the Costick Activities Center, 28600 11 Mile Road.
Absentee ballots must reach the voter's clerk or an authorized drop box by 8 p.m. Nov. 3, when polls close. A drop box may be used only in the voter's own city or township. Before Election Day, voters can also return a completed absentee ballot at an early-voting site.
Voters who received an absentee ballot can bring it to an early-voting center or their precinct on Election Day and tabulate it themselves. If they find an error, they can spoil the ballot and get a replacement, West Bloomfield Clerk Debbie Binder said.
As of Oct. 13, more than 440,000 Michigan voters had returned completed ballots. That equals 6% of the state's active registered voters, according to the Michigan Department of State. The state also offers online ballot-status tracking and email notifications.
Accepted voter identification
A current or expired Michigan driver's license or state ID is accepted for in-person voting. A current driver's license or personal ID card from another state also qualifies. So does a current U.S. passport.
Voters may use a current photo ID issued by a federal government agency. Current state and local government photo IDs qualify as well. A current photo ID from an educational institution is accepted. Current military IDs qualify, as do current tribal photo IDs.
Voters without photo ID can still vote by completing an affidavit stating they are not in possession of one, Farmington Hills Clerk Carly Lindahl said.
Absentee ballot steps
West Bloomfield voters can request an absentee ballot by calling the Township Clerk's Office at (248) 451-4848. They can also join the permanent absentee ballot list, which means a ballot will be mailed automatically for each future election.
Farmington Hills voters returning an absentee ballot must sign the outer purple envelope where indicated. Lindahl said the signature is required for the ballot to be valid.
Information is available at wbtownship.org or in person at the Clerk's Office where a voter is registered. Absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
Michigan requires paper ballots, which are counted by machine. Local election commissions must publicly test voting equipment before an election. Testing must be scheduled at least five days before early voting begins. The Michigan Department of State has more details about public equipment testing.
