How to request an absentee ballot for the November election in Michigan

Shadowing a Michigan clerk on election day

There's no bigger day for a city clerk than election day and August's primary proved no different for Sonja Buffa, who managed weather-related outages and needed to shift several precinct operations to new locations.

(FOX 2) - Michigan’s early voting options will soon open up as the state nears another election with major consequences for the outcome of the presidency and beyond.

Absentee and mail-in ballots will be issued beginning on Sept. 26, which is 40 days out from the November election.

For residents interested in casting their vote before election day, there are several avenues available for them. That includes requesting a ballot online, calling the city clerk, downloading the application and mailing it, or going into the clerk’s office.

Any of these options are fine at least two weeks away from the election date on Nov. 5. But any closer to the day, the Michigan Secretary of State recommends voters make their request in-person to avoid postal delays.

The state website also allows voters to track the status of their ballot for anyone worried it did not arrive on time.

Check out our guide for requesting absentee ballots below:

Requesting ballot online

For voters interested in filling out their ballot without ever leaving their home, they can go online and request their absentee form.

The online form can be found here.

The form will be available before 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election

Download the ballot application form

Voters can also download the absentee ballot request form, fill it out and mail it into the clerk’s office.

The form can be found here.

There are applications available in other languages, including Arabic, in Spanish, Bengali, and Farsi.

Request directly from the clerk’s office

Voters can also go directly through the clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot. Two options are available to them: calling the clerk’s office and asking that an application be mailed to them, or requesting one in person at one’s clerk’s office.