Voting at Albion College

With so much information out there, it can be hard to know where to turn. The following sites offer reliable, nonpartisan voter information and resources:

• Vote411: Run by the League of Women Voters, Vote411 allows you to quickly access information on where to vote, your ballot questions and candidate positions simply by entering your address.
• Rock the Vote: Get simple, clear information on how and where to vote in your state.
• Campus Election Engagement Project: Access resources specifically for voting engagement on campus, including social media toolkits, guides to hosting campus voter registration drives, candidate and issue guides for each state and more.
• Voter Participation Center: Learn how and when to vote in each state, and check your registration is up to date.

This is entirely your decision to make! You are eligible to register either at your home address or your school address. Factors to consider:

• What is most convenient for you? What area do you feel more strongly about having a voice in? To register at an address, you must be a Michigan resident (at the time you register) and a resident of your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote).
• If you register at an address that is different than what is listed on your Michigan driver’s license, be aware that any change to your voter registration address will auto-update the state’s records for your driver’s license as well. You will be sent a sticker in the mail to update the address on your license.

Yes. If you are an out-of-state student attending school in Michigan, you can register to vote at your school address in Michigan, or your home address to vote in your home state’s elections. You can only vote in one state, so registering to vote in Michigan means you cannot vote in your home state and vice-versa.

If you are an out-of-state student and want to register to vote in Michigan:

• If there are MORE than 14 days before Election day, visit the Albion City Clerk’s office at 112 W. Cass Street to register OR download the State of Michigan Voter Registration Application to mail to your clerk with a valid form of identification (a copy of your home state ID is sufficient).
• If you have a state of Michigan driver’s license or state ID you can register to vote online at michigan.gov/vote.
• During the 14 days before and on election day, you will need to visit the Albion City Clerk’s office to register to vote or update your registration address AND you will need to provide proof of residency documentation.

Yes. In Michigan, the address on your driver’s license and your voter registration must match.

No. You can register to vote until 8pm on election day. However, the earlier you register the easier the process and voting will be on the busy election day!

A “proof of residency” document is a document that has your name and current address on it. It is needed to verify your residency and to make sure you are only registered in one district.

To comply with the identification requirement, you must:

(1) Enter your Michigan-issued driver’s license number
or Michigan-issued state ID card number where requested on
the registration form

or

(2) If you do not have a Michigan-issued driver’s license or
Michigan-issued state ID card, provide the last four digits of
your Social Security number.

or

(3) Send one of the following forms of identification when mailing
your registration application to your county, city, or township clerk:

a COPY of a current and valid photo identification (such as a driver’s license
or state ID card from any state)

a COPY of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement or a government document that lists your name and address.

***DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL ID DOCUMENTS BY MAIL***

Note: The identification requirement doesn’t apply if you:

(1) personally hand-deliver your registration application to your county, city or township clerk’s office instead of mailing it or submitting it through a
voter registration drive

(2) are disabled

(3) are eligible to vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

No – an ID is not required to vote in Michigan.

At the polls, you will be asked to present a photo ID. If you have it, bring it with you. If you don’t have an ID or didn’t bring it with you to the polls, you can still vote. You will simply sign a brief affidavit stating that you’re not in possession of a photo ID. Your ballot will still be included with all others and counted on Election Day.

If you are concerned that you won’t be able to vote on election day, the best option is to vote by mail – an absentee ballot – which will be sent to your address for you to complete at home. You can also choose to vote early in Michigan (July 27, 2024 – August 4, 2024 for Michigan Primary and October 26, 2024 – November 3, 2024 for General Election).

YES – As long as you are in line to vote by 8pm you are legally entitled to vote. Continue to stand in line until you have cast your ballot.

Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index for any information on polling locations in Michigan. For all other states please utilize albion.turbovote.org

If you are a Michigan resident, are at least 16 years old and a U.S. citizen, you can pre-register to vote. You will automatically become an active registered voter when you turn 17.5 years old. If you are 18 years old by Election Day, you can cast your ballot. You can learn more at mvic.sos.state.mi.us/

Check out the Voting Rights Toolkit, developed by Kara Anderson, Class of 2025, through the Human Rights Lab on campus.