FAQs

Polls open on election day at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. You will be allowed to vote after 8 p.m. as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.

The local transportation system, CATA (517-394-1000), will provide free rides on election day upon showing your voter registration card.

If you need help voting you can request assistance from a poll worker.

You can have anyone assist you to vote except a representative of your union or your employer.

All precincts in the City of Lansing are handicap accessible.

Every voter will be asked for photo identification. If you do not have ID with you, you will be required to sign an affidavit of voter not in possession of ID. 

Yes, you must register to vote in person at your Township or City Clerk’s Office with proof of residency in that Township or City.

For City of Lansing residents we have two locations: City Hall and our Election Unit located at 2500 S. Washington.

Voters who register to vote on Election Day have the option of voting an absentee ballot at the clerk’s office or they can receive a receipt and vote in person at their precinct.

You can use the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Center to search for voters’ information by name or driver’s license number. Or look at this map to find your precinct number and polling location . For more information on registering to vote, check out our Register to Vote page. 

Go to this page to find out how to register or change your information. 

Check out the Secretary of State’s Michigan Voter Information Center to see a sample ballot. Be sure to select your correct County, City, and Precinct, and check back often to see if there are updates. The website also provides links to more information, including proposal and candidate websites and campaign finance information.

Check out the Secretary of State’s Michigan Voter Information Center to see a sample ballot. You can also check out the League of Women Voters’ online tool, Vote411 Voter Guide, to see who will be on the ballot. 

Check out either the Ingham County Clerk or Eaton County Clerk for election results!

In order to vote in Michigan, you must meet the following requirements:

– A United States citizen
– At least 18 years of age by Election Day
– A resident of Michigan and the city of township where you are applying to register to vote
– Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

Registration is required under Michigan law to be eligible to vote.

Registration in Michigan is considered permanent, so you do not need to re-register for each election. You need to re-register anytime you move and change your address or when you change your name.

Eligible citizens may become registered to vote in a variety of ways, at any time up to and including Election Day.  Individuals who register to vote within the 14-day period immediately preceding an election must appear in person at their city or township clerk’s office and provide proof of residency. 

Individuals using any other method must register to vote at least 15 days before Election Day and are not required to provide proof of residency.  Other methods of registration include an application obtained at one of the following locations: 

• Your local Secretary of State branch office 
• Your local county, city, or township clerk’s office
• Offices of several state agencies, like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
• Military recruitment centers
• Voter registration drives
• Online at the Michigan Voter Information Center

Michigan law states that the same address must be used for voter registration and driver’s license purposes. That means, if the residence address you provide on the voter registration application differs from the address shown on your driver’s license or personal identification card issued by the state of Michigan, the Secretary of State will automatically change your driver’s license or personal ID card address to match the residence address entered on your voter registration. If a change is made, the Secretary of State will mail you an updated address sticker for your driver’s license or personal ID card.

If you are temporarily outside the US, you may use a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) form to register. The FPCA forms are distributed through U.S. embassies and military bases, or you can go to www.fvap.gov/michigan to get more information and register online. 

A Michigan resident who moves and registers out of state may not re-register to vote in Michigan until he or she reestablishes residency here.

You can call the City Clerk’s Office at 517-483-4133 or check the Michigan Voter Information Center. 

No, you cannot register at the polls, but you can register in person at your Township or City Clerk’s Office with proof of residency in that Township or City up to and including Election Day. If you choose, you can also vote in the clerk’s office.  You can also register to vote until 15 days before an election by mail, online, or in person.

You should call the Lansing City Clerk’s Office at 517-483-4133 or check the Michigan Voter Information Center.

If you have moved to another community and registered to vote there, you will need to re-register to vote. If you moved and did not register to vote in that community, you can call the Clerk’s Office at 517-483-4133 or check your voter registration status by visiting the Michigan Voter Information Center.

You can still vote.  You can either vote at the precinct location for your registered address or come to one of the City Clerk’s Offices, located at City Hall or 2500 S. Washington, and register at your new address. 

If you move within the City of Lansing, a change of address should be made with the Clerk’s Office, at a Secretary of State Branch Office, or by visiting ExpressSOS.com. If you have not completed a change of address prior to Election Day, you will not lose your right to vote. A voter registration form can be completed at the precinct to register at your new address for the next election.

If you move outside the City of Lansing, a change of address should be made at your new local clerk’s office, a Secretary of State Branch Office, or by visiting ExpressSOS.com. 

Any name change due to marriage or legal action may be reported to the Clerk’s Office or at the Secretary of State Branch Office. A person changing their name should re-register, but may vote under their former name.

Normally, you cannot vote an absentee ballot on Election Day. However, if an emergency has occurred, such as you have been hospitalized on Election Day, or sickness or death has occurred in your family which will not allow you to go to the polls, you can receive an emergency absentee ballot. You will need to contact our office if this has occurred.

Proposal 3 of 2018 also changed voter registration law so that a voter can register and vote up to and including Election Day.  Those voters who need to register to vote on Election Day may do so at our office at City Hall or 2500 S. Washington.  Those voters may also vote an absentee ballot while they are there or be issued a receipt to go and vote in their precinct. 

No, you cannot drop off your absentee ballot at your voting precinct. You must bring your absentee ballot to the City Clerk’s Office, the South Washington Office, or place it in one of our secure drop-box locations. To find a drop box near you, click here.

Yes, in order to do so, you must take your absentee ballot to your voting precinct. The poll worker will then void your ballot, and then you may vote in your precinct.

Yes, you can request an absentee ballot by calling our office at 517-483-4133, or coming in person to the City Clerk’s Office on 9th floor of City Hall, 124 West Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933, to obtain an application form to receive an absentee ballot. 

We also have and election unit that is open 40 days before each election located at 2500 South Washington Avenue, Lansing, MI, 48910, or you can call us at 517-483-4485.

An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who does not physically appear at their official polling place on Election Day.

Anybody registered to vote is eligible to vote by absentee ballot. You can apply and receive an absentee ballot in the mail or pick up an absentee ballot at one of the clerk’s office locations.

Any registered voter is eligible to receive an absentee ballot.

You can apply online for an absentee ballot, pick up an application in person at our office on the 9th floor of City Hall, or call the clerk’s office at 517-483-4133 to request an application for an absentee ballot.

We also have an election unit open 40 days before each election locate at 2500 South Washington Avenue or you can call the election unit at 517-483-4485.

You can request an absentee ballot up to 75 days before the election. The latest we can mail your ballot will be the Friday before each election. As this date is close to the election, it may be best to come to our office to request and vote your absentee ballot. Our South Washington election unit will be open the Saturday and Sunday before each election.

You can click here.

You can contact your commanding officer and receive a Federal Post Card Registration and Absentee Ballot (FPCA). 

If you are a citizen overseas you can contact your Consulate Office. 

You can also go to www.fvap.gov/michigan to get more information on military and overseas voting, along with requesting your ballot.

Yes, you can come into the City Clerk’s Office on the 9th floor of City Hall to return your absentee ballot prior to election day. You can also come to our office at 2500 South Washington Avenue which will be open 40 days prior to the election.

We also have 24-hour secure drop boxes at both locations. City Hall’s drop box is located just outside the main entrance.  The South Washington Election Unit’s Drop Box is located on the north side of the building.  To locate additional drop boxes, click here.

Yes, we can mail your absentee ballot to your Post Office Box. 

No, only an immediate family member, a person residing in the same household, or an assistant of the clerk may deliver your absentee ballot to the Clerk’s Office.

Click here for office hours. 

If you spoil your ballot in any way, you can receive another absentee ballot by calling our office at 517-483-4133 or by coming in person.

The latest an absentee ballots can be mailed is the Friday before any election. As this date is close to the election date, you may wish to come to our office at 2500 South Washington Avenue to vote. We will be open the Saturday and Sunday before each election.

Absentee ballots must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Election Day at the clerk’s office at City Hall or 2500 South Washington Ave, or at one of our drop boxes. To find a secure drop box location nearest you, please click here.

The last day you can get an absentee ballot in our City Hall or South Washington office is the day before an election by 4 p.m. You must come in person and vote, as your ballot cannot be given to anyone else.