How to vote · 2026
Michigan
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the Michigan election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineNovember 2, 2026Online/mail registration by Oct. 19, 2026 (15 days before); in-person registration with proof of residency at your city/township clerk continues through Election Day (same-day registration from Sept. 24).
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 30, 2026
Mail ballots first sentSeptember 24, 2026Absentee ballots are available and begin mailing 40 days before Election Day (Sept. 24, 2026; Mich. Const. art. II sec. 4). Online/mail requests by 5 p.m. Oct. 30; in-person at clerk through 4 p.m. Nov. 2. Permanent mail ballot list available.
Return ruleMust be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 24, 2026through November 1, 2026 · Statewide early voting period Oct. 24-Nov. 1, 2026 (9 days, may extend to Nov. 2 locally); in-person absentee voting at clerk offices from Sept. 24. Varies by community.
Official MI election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] Michigan SOS 2026 election dates: absentee ballots available Sept. 24, 2026[2] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[3] Mail voting Sept. 24-Nov. 3, 2026[4] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[5] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[6] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[7] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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