Michigan
Here’s how to get an absentee ballot for Michigan’s Aug. 6 primary election

Want to vote in Michigan’s August primary election, but won’t be in town? Want to spend some time with your ballot at home? Or you remembered it’s hot and humid in Michigan in August, and you don’t want to step outside your house?
Good news: You can instead vote with an absentee ballot by mail or in person at your local election clerk’s office.
In Michigan, you don’t need a reason to request an absentee ballot. The state is one of 28 with what is called “no-excuse” absentee voting, which is pretty much what it sounds like: You don’t need a specific reason to ask for an absentee ballot.
Registered voters who have already completed applications to receive an absentee ballot for the upcoming Aug. 6 primary should start receiving their ballots in the mail this week.
Here’s how to vote absentee from home, vacation or in-person at your clerk’s office:
How I can request a Michigan absentee ballot?
The simplest way to get an absentee ballot in Michigan is to request one online through the Secretary of State’s office at mvic.sos.state.mi.us/AVApplication.
To fill out that form, confirm your citizenship and authorize the Secretary of State’s office to send your digital signature (stored from your state ID or driver’s license) to your city or town. Fill out your info, matching it exactly to your driver’s license. From there, confirm your address and which elections you’d like a ballot for — there’s an election in August as well as in November. Here, you can confirm you want to join the “permanent ballot list,” which means you’ll automatically get an absentee ballot application in each election. Confirm your address, add your personal contact information, then submit. The process takes however long it takes you to fish out your driver’s license plus maybe two minutes.
It’s best to do this at least 15 days before an election to give your local clerk enough time to send you your ballot and to give yourself enough time to return it. Online applications can be submitted as late as 5 p.m. as the Friday before the election, but that might be cutting it close.
For the Aug. 6 election, absentee ballots come available June 27.
I don’t want to request my ballot online.
There are other options as well. You can request one by mail. Fill out the application found at michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/voters in whatever language is best for you (options include Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Spanish, English and large-print English, as well as an accessible electronic application). Mail it in following the directions on the application or take it to your city, village or township clerk’s office in person.
It’s important you give your application enough time to arrive. They are due to your clerk’s office by 5 p.m. the Friday before the election (Aug. 2 for this upcoming primary). They can be returned by mail or in person, but the deadline is the same.
If you’re cutting it a little close or don’t want to use the mail, you can request your ballot in person at your clerk’s office. (If you’ve recently moved or you’re not otherwise registered, you can also do this at clerk’s office.) You can find your closest clerk by putting in your address at mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index/#yourclerk.
How do I fill out an absentee ballot in Michigan?
The actual candidates and issues you choose are up to you, of course. But it’s important you follow some specific requirements so that your vote doesn’t get thrown out.
There will be written instructions included with your ballot. If you have questions, you can reach out to your local clerk.
After that, make sure you put it in the secrecy sleeve which will come included with your ballot, and then in the return envelope. From there, you have to sign and date the return envelope. Make sure you sign in the right place with your signature on file (although you’re allowed to sign with a shortened version of your name, as long as the signature resembles the original — the Secretary of State’s office specifically lists “Bill” instead of “William” as an acceptable substitution) and list the correct date.
From there, you can drop it in the mail. It will be counted as long as it’s postmarked by Election Day and received within six days of the election. You can also drop it off in person, if you’d prefer, at the clerk’s office or at a drop box located around your city. You can look up those locations on the Secretary of State’s website.
More: ‘Whole new world’: 9 ways Michigan elections have changed
How can I trust my absentee ballot made it on time?
Registered voters can track their ballots through (you guessed it) the Secretary of State’s website. Put in your information, and there will be a box on the top right of the screen that will note whether your clerk has received your application or your ballot.
That website also lists drop box locations and when they’re accessible, as well as your polling place if you’d like to go in person.
When will my ballot be counted?
If you live in a town or city with more than 5,000 people, your municipality may create what’s known as an Absentee Voter Counting Board. This group of election workers processes ballots for up to eight days before an election. (Smaller towns can also do this starting on the Monday before the election.)
Ballots that arrive within six days after Election Day but are still postmarked properly will be counted after.
More: Early voting. Absentee. Election Day votes. How ballots are counted in Michigan
Is absentee voting secure?
There are a lot of different systems in place to ensure that absentee voting is as secure as standard operation.
Clerks compare signatures between ballots and the signatures on file to compare, for example. The secrecy envelope helps to keep your vote private. Votes from people who die before Election Day, as long as the clerk is able to learn they are dead, are rejected.
Michigan also uses something called the “qualified voter file” that tracks when a voter has turned in their ballot. It prevents clerks from issuing more than one ballot and also flags to them when more than one ballot from the same person has been returned. If someone were to request a second ballot after returning the first, the first is invalidated.
The Secretary of State’s office has a robust webpage dedicated to answering other questions about election security at michigan.gov/sos/elections/security.

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Michigan
WATCH: Michigan State G Tre Holloman Speaks After Win Over Michigan

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tre Holloman once again proved to be too much to handle for No. 8 Michigan State’s in-state rival, No. 17 Michigan, when the Spartans handled the Wolverines, 79-62, on Senior Day.
Less than a month after dropping 18 on the Maize and Blue, Holloman posted a career-high 20 points while leading the Spartans to victory on Sunday.
The veteran guard has taken a major leap this season and has been key to Michigan State’s return to prominence.
Holloman addressed the media after the win. You can watch some of his media availability below:
Below is a partial transcript from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s opening statement of his postgame press conference:
Izzo: “As you get older, you don’t know when you’ll get another opportunity to enjoy something. But so many people I want to thank. I just think our marketing people are brilliant. Our AD, our president. And everybody did their job, and our fans and former players — that’s why I never wanted to leave this place. And I know every place has good things and bad things. We’ve had our share of bad things. But I just love the direction we’re headed. I’m glad I stuck around to hopefully be part of this resurgence. And not for the athletics, for the program, I’m just talking about for all of us. So, the game was — I thought we played awfully well first half. We really did, shot it better, didn’t turn the ball over, two turnovers. They had a bunch of them. The second half, we started out good, we get that 25-point lead, and then, we were poor, and they were good. Give them credit, they were good. But we turned the ball over like I haven’t seen. I mean, we’re spin dribbling, we did some crazy things. And so, I think it’ll be a good teaching point in the film session that you can’t have those leads; you get in the tournament when it’s one-and-done, and those things cost you. So, hopefully, we’ll learn from it.”
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Michigan
Tre Holloman ‘stood on business’ to protect Michigan State tradition vs. Michigan
EAST LANSING – With 37 seconds left and a victory wrapped up, it was time to continue a three-decade program tradition.
The final home game of the season meant Michigan State’s seniors would check out and, before heading to the bench amid a standing ovation, bend down to kiss the Spartan logo at midcourt in the Breslin Center.
One problem – Michigan’s L.J. Cason and Phat Phat Brooks were standing directly on the center of the logo between free throws, preventing Frankie Fidler from getting to the exact spot. So as Szymon Zapala was about to take his turn, Tre Holloman took notice and stepped in to correct what he viewed as disrespect.
“I’m like what? So, then I had to move them,” Holloman recalled.
The junior guard approached Cason and Brooks and told them to move before shoving each at the same time. Although a minor dustup resulted in technical fouls on Holloman and Cason, the mission was accomplished. A path was cleared for Zapala and then Jaden Akins to take their final bows right where intended.
“He’s a dog,” forward Jaxon Kohler said of Holloman. “He’s going to go down an MSU legend for that.”
Holloman, a co-captain, stood up for the seniors after scoring a career-high 20 points to help No. 8 Michigan State to Sunday’s 79-62 win on Sunday in East Lansing. Moments later, there was an on-court celebration honoring the outright Big Ten champions, who finished the regular season with seven straight wins.
“We have a freaking tradition here and nobody, nobody is changing our tradition,” coach Tom Izzo told the crowd. He then called for Holloman to come forward on the confetti-strewn floor and deliver a unique, non-senior floor kiss.
“I love that mentality,” Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said of Holloman. “Protect your home, protect your court, be respectful, but he showed a true Spartan mentality today.”
The court kissing was started by Shawn Respert in 1995 and has been a program staple while also being adopted by other sports on campus. Sunday’s confrontation was a new twist and there were program legends on hand to witness it.
“They don’t call us Spartan Dawgs for no reason,” said former All-American Jason Richardson, whose son Jase is a star freshman for the Spartans. “They’ve got to understand tradition and you don’t stand on that court when the seniors are coming out.”
The altercation was nothing like what occurred between the rivals in football during recent years. Izzo and Michigan coach Dusty May, who had his own opinion of the incident, both quickly came on the floor as players were separated. In the middle of commotion was Zapala.
“It wasn’t me, I was just trying to do my thing,” Zapala said with a smile. “Tre stood on business.”
Izzo recalled members of Michigan’s Fab Five rubbing their butts on the Breslin logo and talked to Jalen Rose about the incident. The late tension on Sunday was just another example of the dislike on both sides.
“That’s what rivalries are all about,” Izzo said. “If everybody’s out there hugging and kissing, it’s probably not a rivalry. They shouldn’t get mad if we were kissing our own S … I don’t get mad when they call me an angry midget, that don’t bother me.”
Izzo called the situation “unfortunate” and didn’t want it to overshadow the program’s first Big Ten title in five years while sending the seniors out on top. However, Holloman’s teammates lauded him for clearing the way, especially Akins, who grew up watching the tradition as a fan.
“That’s just who Tre is as a person,” Akins said. “He’s not going to tolerate that.”
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