How to track your absentee ballot in Michigan

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, but millions of voters in Michigan likely will have already cast their ballots by then, as absentee ballots have been available since late September.

Michigan is among the states allowing no-reason absentee voting. If you're among those who requested an absentee ballot, have filled it out and mailed it to your local clerk, here's how you can track the ballot's status online:

How to track the status of your absentee ballot in Michigan

Voters in Michigan who've 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 the online Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote, voters can find a bevy of information, including 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.

How 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.

If you're unsure where your local clerk's office is, that information can also be found at michigan.gov/vote.

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.

More: How to check if you're registered to vote in Michigan before November election

If I submitted my absentee ballot, can I still change my vote?

If you want to change your ballot — because a candidate has dropped out of their race or for another reason — you can spoil your absentee ballot, but there are deadlines to do so ahead of Election Day.

Voters can spoil already submitted absentee ballots by submitting a written request to their local clerk's office, either by mail or in person. The request has to be signed and state whether the voter wants a new ballot mailed to him or her or if he or she will pick it up from the clerk's office in person. A request to spoil an absentee ballot that has already been returned must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the second Friday before Election Day. For the Nov. election, that is Friday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m.

Voters who cast their ballot at an early voting site or their polling location on Election Day cannot spoil their ballot.

I requested an absentee ballot, but changed my mind and want to vote in person. Can I do that?

If you have received your absentee ballot but have not yet submitted it, the ballot can be spoiled at your local clerk's office up until 4 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day.

Voters can also bring in and surrender their absentee ballots in-person at their polling place on Election Day or an early voting site. If you've lost your ballot, or have not yet received it by Election Day, you can sign a statement at your polling place stating that the ballot was lost or destroyed and vote at the polls. An election worker will call the local clerk to verify that your absentee ballot has not been returned.

If you have submitted your absentee ballot and have not spoiled it by the required deadlines, you cannot vote again on Election Day.

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 article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan absentee ballot tracker: How to check yours online