Elections/ Voting
You must be a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age by election day, a resident of Michigan and live in the City to be registered
Individuals may register to vote at the age of 17-1/2, in the event that they will be 18 years old by the date of the election in which they wish to vote. High School Seniors who are going to college away from home should take this into consideration.
With the recent passage of Proposal 3 in the November 2018 General Election, registered voters can now request an absentee ballot without providing a reason. Under Michigan Election law, you are eligible to be placed on the Permanent Absent Voter Application List.
Benefits of being on the Permanent Absent Voter Application List:
You will automatically receive an absent voter application for every election.
If you choose to return the application, you will be sent a ballot as soon as they arrive.
You will avoid potentially long lines at the polls.
You can take your time studying the ballot and vote from home when you are ready.
To be added to the Permanent AV Application List, please call the City Clerk's office at 313-386-1800 ext. 1244
Absentee applications are available 75 days before an election.
Absentee ballots are available 40 days before an election.
Applications and ballots may be returned by postal mail or in person. We also have a dropbox outside City Hall that is availble for use 24 hours a day .
The deadline for us to mail a ballot is the Friday before an election, however the post office requires 3-5 days for delivery of first-class. We recommend that ballots be obtained in person whenever possible within a week of the election.