By Janice M. Winfrey
There is good news for voters in Detroit as we had toward Election Day. There are more options for voting than ever before. It’s time now to make a plan for how – and when – you want to vote.
Because of changes to Michigan’s Constitution approved by voters statewide in 2022, Detroiters can now enjoy the convenience of early, in-person voting. This is an ideal option if you want to vote before Election Day and in person, with a similar experience to what you are used to at your local precinct location on Election Day.
You will be able to vote at 14 Early Vote Centers across the city. Early voting for the November election in Detroit will begin on Saturday October 19 and continues through Sunday November 3 – 16 days, more than any other city in the state. Early Vote Centers operate like Election Day polling places, allowing you to walk in, receive a ballot, vote, and put the ballot in the voting tabulator. Tabulators receive the ballots throughout early voting, but results are not known or released until election night and ballots are kept in safe, sealed containers.
You can choose any Early Vote Center that’s most convenient for you. It can be one near home, near work, near a family member or near whatever plans you have. These early voting sites will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day during the early voting period, including Saturdays and Sundays. Two Early Vote Centers are located in each City Council district and include the Department of Elections’ offices in New Center and Downtown, in addition to neighborhood locations across the city.
If you are not yet registered to vote or not sure, you can stop by any Early Vote Center, register on the spot and vote immediately. If you’re already registered, just vote early at whichever Center you pick. Early voting is for everyone, all the time, during those 16 days.
Another option, still relatively new for many voters, is absentee ballot voting. If you are registered to receive an absentee ballot, you will receive one in the mail. You can vote from home at your own convenience and mail it back to us or place it in one of 35 secure drop boxes across the city. Because of changes to the State Constitution approved by voters in 2018, you no longer need a reason to vote absentee. But, to be counted, your absentee ballot must be received by mail or be in a drop box by 8 p.m. on November 5th.
The other option for voting is one that Detroiters know well. You can still vote in-person on Election Day in your neighborhood precinct. We will have the polls staffed and ready, if you prefer that experience.
The best thing to do now is to make a plan to vote. Understand your options, mark your calendar or create a reminder on your phone. Then talk to your friends and family so they know how you plan to participate in and protect our democracy. Chances are, they’ll join you.
For more information, our website is https://detroitmi.gov/departments/elections.
Because of two special elections, a Presidential primary and the August Michigan primary, November will be our fifth election of 2024. Our elections professionals are ready to make sure everything runs smoothly.
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