Accessible

Voting

Guide

Click for screen reader accessible version

A Guide for Michigan Voters

Overview of Options

There are two ways to vote by mail…

…and two ways to vote in person

Request an �Electronic �absentee ballot

Vote on Election Day

Vote Early

Request a �Paper �absentee ballot

Reasons for Each

Reasons to vote by mail:

Reasons to vote in person:

Vote from the comfort of your own home

(Use electronic absentee ballots if you can’t leave your house and can’t mark ballots)

Get additional help at polling site

Vote electronically without a printer

Avoid lines, crowds

No wait to receive ballots

How to Vote by Mail

Paper absentee ballots can take up to 30 days to arrive and can be requested for any reason.

Step 1: Request an absentee ballot ASAP

Step 2: Fill it out, then sign it

Step 3: Put in mailbox, dropbox, polling location, or local city/township clerk's office

For electronic absentee ballots

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• Fill it out digitally
• Print
• Sign

If you put it in your mailbox, allow 7 days for it to be received and counted

Electronic absentee ballots are available quickly but can only be requested if you have �a disability that prevents you from accessing paper absentee ballots

How to Vote in Person

Step 1: Determine your voting site

Step 2: Plan transportation to voting site

Step 3: Vote!!

Everyone can access �early voting up to

9 consecutive days ending on the Sunday before the election. �In 2024, these dates are:

October 26th - November 3rd

Early voting locations may differ from your normal voting site

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Voter Assist Terminals

What are Voter Assist Terminals?

How do Voter Assist Terminals work?

Anyone can use Voter Assist Terminals.

You do not need to show proof of your disability, �identify it, or even have one

The Voter Assist Terminal, or VAT, is a machine at all in-person voting sites that allows people with disabilities (specifically those affecting reading and movement) to vote independently.

Talk to a voting official for help setting up the machine. You can either mark your ballot using a touch screen or a remote control with buttons. Headphones that read the text aloud are provided and the text can be made bigger or have higher contrast. Once filled out, print your ballot and submit it.

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Polling site workers can help you operate �the machine.

Other Accessibility Tips

• When in doubt, talk to your city/township clerk
• Early voting is ideal in case of last-minute issues
• Ask your local polling place if they offer curbside voting
• Polling site workers can assist with everything except physically marking your ballot
• Anyone other than polling site workers, your boss, or your union boss is allowed to help you mark an in-person or absentee ballot
• You can always use a stamp or mark as your signature so long as it matches your voter registration
• If you’re voting in person, bring any needed stamps just in case
• You can get a sample ballot in advance �and bring it (or notes) with you to vote.

Voting Access Tips

• If you registered for electronic or paper absentee voting for life, voting in person will reset this.
• If you’re a student from another state, you can vote in Michigan if you have been using a Michigan address for at least 30 days (by election day)
• You will still have to register to vote in Michigan
• You can vote in your home state instead, but not in both
• You are entitled to vote from a group home or psychiatric ward
• Social workers are allowed to help �you vote

Links & Resources

• Find your voter information, polling place, and city/township clerk
• Voter information includes registration information, sample ballots, the ability to track your absentee ballots, and so on.
• Contact your city/township clerk for questions about voting or if you need help registering to vote.
• Get official information about voting
• Including a page on Accessible Voting and a page on Voter Assist Terminals
• Explore community resources on voting
• Do a deep dive into accessible voting with Detroit Disability Power’s Accessible Voting Voter Guide
• Or volunteer to get out the Disability Vote

This guide was created by an individual, �not an organization or government entity.

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Email me at (wmcleod@umich.edu) if you

• Have updates or corrections for the guide
• Have questions about the information in the guide
• Would like the guide in an alternative format or
• Would like access to the document to create a version for a different state

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The original Google Slides of this visual guide and Google Docs of the screen reader accessible guide will be updated as updates are made.

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