What is the Permanent Mail Ballot List?

The Permanent Mail Ballot List is a list of voters who have signed up to automatically receive a ballot by mail before each election. Previously, Michigan voters could sign up to receive an absentee ballot application before each election. The new Permanent Mail Ballot List allows voters to sign up to receive a ballot before every election, eliminating the need to submit a new application each time.

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Who is the Permanent Mail Ballot List for?

Any Michigan voter can join the Permanent Mail Ballot List. 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.

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What if I sign up for the Permanent Mail Ballot List and then decide I want to vote in person?

After you receive your ballot, you can complete it at home and then take it to your early voting site or (if you live anywhere other than Detroit) to your polling place on Election Day and let the poll workers know that you would like to put your ballot into the tabulator.  Alternatively, you can give your ballot to the poll workers to “spoil.” They will give you a new ballot that you can use at the early voting site or polling place. 

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How do I sign up for the Permanent Mail Ballot List?

You can join the list when you apply for a ballot by mail for an upcoming election. Just check the box indicating that you’d like to automatically receive a mail ballot for each future election for which you’re eligible.  

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How do I check to see if I’m already on the Permanent Mail Ballot List?

Voters were not able to sign up for the list until May 2023. If you think you signed up for the list in May 2023 or after, we recommend contacting your city or township clerk to confirm. You can find your city or township clerk’s contact information at MI.gov/vote.  

 

What if I sign up for the list and then change my mind about being a Permanent Mail Ballot Voter?

You can remove yourself from the list at any time by submitting a signed request for removal to your local clerk. You will also be removed from the list if you relocate to another state or move within Michigan without updating your voter registration address, if you do not vote for six consecutive years, or if you are not currently eligible to vote (for example, if you are serving a sentence in jail or prison). 

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