More than 672K Michigan voters have returned absentee ballots ahead of Nov. 5 election

With less than three weeks to go until the Nov. 5 general election, 672,585 voters in Michigan have returned an absentee ballot, a figure which represents around 31% of the more than 2.1 million voters in the state who have applied for the ballots, according to numbers released by the Michigan Secretary of State's Office on Tuesday.

Compared with the previous general election in 2020, the ratio of returned absentee ballots is slightly down for this time period. At the three-week horizon before the 2020 election, 977,694 voters had returned an absentee ballot. That represented around 34% of the more than 2.8 million voters who had applied for an absentee ballot at that point in 2020, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

In a news release, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's Office noted the 2020 election took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters were encouraged to vote absentee that year over concerns about the virus.

This year, in Detroit, 41,205 voters have returned an absentee ballot, just more than 40% of the 102,401 Detroiters who have applied for one. No city in Michigan has had more ballots returned, as of Oct. 15, according to data released by Benson's office. Detroit is Michigan's most populous city.

In 2018, Michigan voters passed a ballot proposal enacting sweeping voting changes, among them allowing voters to request absentee ballots without needing an excuse for one. Absentee voting allows voters to return ballots through the mail, at their local clerk's office or at a secure drop box location without needing to go to the polls on Election Day.

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There's still time to request an absentee ballot

If you would like to request an absentee ballot, there are multiple ways to do so in Michigan.

Absentee ballots can be requested online at michigan.gov/vote by filling out the online application and having your absentee ballot mailed to you. The online form must be submitted before 5 p.m. on the Friday ahead of Election Day. That's Friday, Nov. 1.

You also can print out the application online and return the completed form to your local clerk's office. If you're unsure where your local clerk's office is, that can also be found at michigan.gov/vote.

Registered voters can also call their clerk's office and request an absentee ballot be mailed to them.

You can also visit your local clerk's office and request an absentee ballot in person up until 4 p.m. the day before an election.

Where can I return my absentee ballot?

Absentee ballots must be received by your local clerk's office by 8 p.m. Election Day, when polls close.

Absentee ballots can be mailed to your local clerk's office, hand-delivered to your local clerk or returned by placing it in a secure drop box. Drop box locations for your city, township or village can be found at michigan.gov/vote.

Within two weeks of Election Day, officials recommend returning absentee ballots in person to avoid any potential delays with the mail.

Voters can also bring absentee ballots to their early voting location and insert it into a tabulator there.

Except in the city of Detroit, voters can bring their absentee ballot to their polling place on Election Day and insert it into a tabulator.

How to track an absentee ballot

Voters in Michigan who have already filled out and submitted an absentee ballot can track its status online to make sure their local clerk's office receives it before Election Day.

At michigan.gov/vote, voters can find the status of their absentee ballot. Once you've accessed the site, click on "Your voter information," enter in the relevant info and track if your local clerk has received your absentee ballot.

Other ways to vote

Registered voters in Michigan, of course, can also visit the polls on Election Day to cast their ballot. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you're in line to vote by 8 p.m. on Election Day, you will be allowed to vote. You can find your polling place at michigan.gov/vote.

In 2022, voters in Michigan passed a proposal requiring communities to hold at least nine days of early, in-person voting. Early voting in most communities begins Oct. 26, but some communities are opening early voting locations earlier. To find locations and hours for early voting locations in your community, go to michigan.gov/vote.

Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected]

Looking for more on Michigan’s elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: In Michigan, 672K absentee ballots returned 3 weeks ahead of election