Michigan’s clerks are set Thursday to start sending absentee ballots to voters for the Nov. 5 election, a form of voting that became popular in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is available to all registered voters in the state.

Under a constitutional amendment approved by state voters in 2018, registered voters can request an absentee ballot ahead of time for any reason. In the past, such ballots were limited to registered voters with certain qualifications, such as people 60 years and older or residents who were going to be out of town on Election Day.

The following are answers to questions about getting, filling out and returning an absentee ballot and other related issues, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.

Requesting an absentee ballot

Voters can apply for an absentee ballot application at their local clerk’s office, by mail or online.

Voters who apply online must provide the following: their full name; mailing address; a Michigan driver’s license, an ID number or a statement that they don’t have a Michigan driver’s license or ID; date of birth; last four digits of their Social Security number; eye color; and an uploaded signature or authorization to use their stored digital signature on file with the Secretary of State’s office.

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When applying by mail, voters must provide their full name, year of birth, address and/or mailing address and a signature of record, which can be the one on their driver’s license or state ID or on a previous voter registration application.

When applying by mail or at a clerk’s office, voters can print ballot applications from the Michigan Department of State website or pick one up at a local clerk’s office. Applications mailed to a voter from their local clerk will include a pre-paid return envelope.

When ballots are sent out

Absentee ballots will be mailed out to applicants and those on the permanent absentee ballot list starting Thursday, Sept. 26. They are available 40 days before every election in Michigan. People who apply later for such a ballot get one mailed to them.

The deadline to apply to receive a ballot by mail is Nov. 1, the Friday before Election Day. But clerks discourage waiting this late to obtain an absentee ballot because of concerns about the speed of the delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service.

When ballots are due

Mailed absentee ballots from all voters, except military and overseas voters, must be received by the voter’s local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day or they will not be counted. Clerks are urging voters to mail an absentee ballot at least two weeks before Election Day to avoid potential mailing delays. Military and overseas voter absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within six days after the election to be counted. Absentee ballots also can be returned in person to the clerk’s office or a drop box by 8 p.m. Election Day.

Tracking applications and ballots

Voters can track the mailing and receipt of their absentee ballot application and of their ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote. Voters can also contact their local clerk’s office with questions about their application or ballot.

Tips for completing the ballot

Voters should complete their absentee ballot by following the instructions included with the ballot. Instructions may differ based on the type of election.

Voters should insert the completed ballot into the secrecy sleeve as instructed, and they need to sign and date the return envelope on the provided space. They should use their signature as shown on their driver’s license, state ID or voter registration application.

Options for those with a disability

Voters with a disability who require assistance in completing their absentee ballot application can receive help from another person, provided that the person isn’t the voter’s employer, agent of that employer or an officer or agent of a union to which the voter belongs.

Voters with disabilities can also request an accessible absentee ballot by submitting an accessible absentee ballot application online at Michigan.gov/Vote. They can also download an accessible application to vote absentee and submit it to their local clerk’s office by mail, email or in person. Or they can visit their local clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot in person.

Who can return an absentee ballot

Not just the voter is legally allowed to return an individual’s absentee ballot. Others who are permitted to deliver an absentee ballot are a member of the voter’s immediate family who is asked to do so, an individual who lives in the voter’s household who is requested to do so, a mail carrier on duty or an authorized election official in the voter’s jurisdiction.

Michigan makes it a felony for anyone else to have or deliver an absentee ballot.

How to return ballots

Voters can mail their absentee ballot to their local clerk, although clerks are warning that the ballots should be mailed at least two weeks before Nov. 5 to ensure they arrive even if there are delays with the U.S. Postal Service. Voters also can return them in person to the clerk’s office or at a clerk’s drop box location by 8 p.m. Election Day.

How clerks verify signatures

The Michigan Bureau of Elections trains clerks in signature verification. The clerks review and compare the signature on each absentee ballot with the signature on the return envelope and the voter’s signature on record — which is usually the signature on a driver’s license, state identification or a voter registration application — to confirm its validity. If a clerk decided a signature is invalid, the ballot is rejected and the clerk is required to quickly notify the voter of the rejection.

What happens with returned ballots

Completed and signed absentee ballots are securely stored by local clerks in storage containers approved by the bipartisan county canvassers or election commission.

How to change an absentee vote

In most instances, absentee voters may change their vote on an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on the second Friday before Election Day, or Oct. 25 if the ballot has not already been tabulated. If voters decide to cast their ballot in person instead of absentee, they may visit their early voting site on Election Day polling place if they haven’t already turned in their absentee ballot. They can submit their completed absentee ballot at the early voting site or Election Day polling place. Or they can “spoil” their absentee ballot and get issued a new ballot.

Getting ballots mailed continually

Michigan voters can choose to be placed on a permanent absentee ballot list, which means their clerk will automatically mail them an absentee ballot for all local, state and federal elections.

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