What to know about voting absentee in Michigan's 2026 midterm election

If you are on Michigan's permanent absent voter list or signed up in advance to get an absentee voter ballot for the Nov. 3 election, your ballots are on the way. 

Local clerks in Metro Detroit have been sharing updates on their preparation and delivery since absentee ballot season officially opened on Thursday. That's 40 days before the election. The requested ballots might take up to 10 days to arrive in the mail, Sterling Heights city officials said.  

"Your absentee ballot should arrive soon in a blue and white envelope. Be sure you don't accidentally toss it with the junk mail. And let family members know what to look for, too," Royal Oak city officials said. 

The last day to request an absentee ballot online is Oct. 30. The last day to request an absentee ballot with an in-person visit to your election clerk's office is Nov. 2. 

Michigan absentee ballots can be returned by mail, to a designated drop box assigned by your election clerk or to your election clerk's office. Regardless of how they are returned, all absentee ballots must be received by the election clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, which is Nov. 3. 

Registered voters can find more information about absentee voting at Michigan.gov/vote and even sign up to track their ballot as it goes through the process. 

Absentee voting has long been an option, but only in recent years has it been available to anyone without needing to provide a reason. After the new rules took effect, there was increased interest in absentee voting, also called voting at home or mail-in voting. 

There are legal battles at the federal level over mail-in voting procedures and the postal service's role in handling such ballots. The Trump administration is seeking procedures such as lists of those who intend to vote by mail and have unique tracking codes on the mail ballots. But on Sept. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court left intact a lower court's decision to keep the proposed changes on hold while the legal challenges continue. By that time, several states had begun mailing ballots to those eligible under existing state laws and procedures, including military and overseas voters.

The Michigan Secretary of State's office says during the November 2024 election, there were 2.2 million registered voters who voted absentee, 1.2 million who participated in early in-person voting and 2.2 million who voted in person on Election Day. 

The above video originally aired on Sept. 22, 2026.