REGISTERING TO VOTE: 


If you have recently moved to Marion Township, you must register to vote at your new address at least 15 days prior to the first scheduled election.

If you were previously registered in the State of Michigan, your voter registration can be updated at the Marion Township office, and you should automatically receive an address change sticker for your driver’s license within 30 days. If you have an enhanced ID, an updated one will be mailed to you. You may also register online through the Michigan Secretary of State website: MI-SOS-VOTE.

You can also register to vote within the 14-day period before and on election day, with residency verification. However, you must complete your registration at the Marion Township Clerk’s office, located at 2877 W. Coon Lake Rd, in Howell. Documents that may be accepted for residency verification (items must include the applicants name and current address): current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document.

 A person registering to vote, 0-14 days in-person at the Clerk's Office with residency verification, may vote in person or an absentee voter's ballot.

ABSENTEE VOTING:

Absentee Voting allows you to vote your absentee ballot at home or at the Marion Township Clerk’s Office, up to approximately 40 days prior to Election Day. In order to receive an absentee ballot, registered voters must be on the permanent absentee ballot list or complete/return an absentee ballot application. You can find the Absentee Ballot Application on the left side of your screen under “Absentee Voting” or online through the Michigan Secretary of State website: MI-SOS-VOTE. Voters can also request an absentee application directly from the Clerk’s office.

Once your absentee ballot application is received by the Clerk's Office, an absentee ballot will be mailed out within 40 days before the election. Absentee voters can then submit their absentee ballots in the signed envelope by mail, in person, or by drop box. After your absentee ballot is received by the Clerk's Office, your absentee ballot is processed and tabulated by an Absent Voter Counting Board on Election Day or just before.

PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTER LIST:

Who is the Permanent Mail Ballot List for?

With the passing of Proposal 2 in 2022, any Marion Township voter may request to be on the Permanent Absentee Ballot List by checking a box on the application to automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election.

However, the list is best suited for voters who wish to vote from home in every election and who generally receive their mail ballot at the same address for each election. Voters who wish to vote from home in every election, but who may not be at the same address for each election–snowbirds, for example–can also join the list, but they must remember to update their mailing address with their local clerk before every election.

How do I sign up to be placed on the permanent mail ballot list?

• Voters can complete/return an absentee ballot application to the Clerk’s office in-person, by mail or by email: elections@mariontownship.com​
• Voters can also complete an absentee ballot application online approximately 75 days before an election, by visiting the Michigan Secretary of State website: ONLINE-MI-SOS-ABSENTEE APP​

Once on the permanent absentee ballot list, the Clerk will automatically mail an absentee ballot to the voter for all future elections.

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING

In November 2022, Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that gives voters the right to vote early and in person at early voting sites before statewide and federal elections. Other jurisdictions may also choose to provide early voting for local elections. Marion Township only offers early voting before state and federal elections.

Early voting allows a voter to cast a ballot before Election Day, in an experience similar to voting on Election Day.

During the early voting period, voters are issued a ballot and can then insert their ballot directly into a tabulator at their early voting site.

Bring Your Photo Identification to the Polls:

Voters are required to present picture identification as part of the application to vote process. The Election Inspector will check the photo and name appearing on the identification to verify the voter’s identity. Acceptable forms of picture identification are:

• Michigan driver's license or Michigan personal identification card
  
• Driver's license or personal identification card issued by another state
  
• Federal or state government-issued photo identification
  
• U.S. passport
  
• Military identification card with photo
  
• Student identification with photo (from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education)
  
• Tribal identification card with photo

Voters who do not have acceptable picture identification or are not in possession of picture identification must sign an affidavit prior to voting.