Student Voting

As a student, you can register to vote at your school address OR your permanent home address. HOWEVER, if you do decide to register at your school address, be aware that it will automatically update your driver’s license address as well. Also, if you register to vote at your school address, you will vote within that jurisdiction, and NOT your hometown.

You can register to vote online. If you don’t have a Michigan ID or driver’s license, you can register at the Clerk’s Office with valid photo ID. Alternative acceptable forms of photo ID include:  driver’s license issued by another state, federal or state government-issued photo ID, U.S. passport, student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, or tribal identification card with photo.

If you are at least 17 1/2 years old and will be 18 by the day of the next election, you are able to register to vote.

After registering to vote, you can check your voting information online. Here you can view your registration status, polling place, sample ballot, track your absentee ballot, and more.

At the polls, voters are asked to present photo ID. If you don’t have an ID or failed to bring it with you to the polls, you can still vote. You will simply sign a brief affidavit stating that you’re not in possession of a photo ID.

Any registered voter is eligible to vote by mail. You can request an AV ballot online, visit the clerk’s office to complete a request form, or download the form and then mail and/or email it to the Clerk’s Office.

If you plan to attend school out-of-state, the clerk’s office will mail your ballot there upon your request. Please make sure to request a No- Reason Mail-In Absentee Ballot as far in advance as possible. To do so, request an application and complete the section where you would like your ballot mailed to, as well as the start and end date you will reside at that location.

Special services are provided to assist military and overseas civilian voters participate in elections, including receiving a ballot by email. Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website to request a ballot, or contact our office for instruction.

If you decide to vote at your polling location, voting hours are 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Plan to wait in line for busier elections. First, you will stop at Station 1 where you will be asked to show photo ID and fill out an application to vote. Then you will visit Station 2, where an Electronic Poll Book inspector will look up your voter information using a laptop. Next, Station 3 will issue you a ballot and direct you to a voting booth. Once you are done voting, you will move onto Station 4, where you will deposit your ballot to be tabulated.