Community Corner

Are You Registered to Vote, Brighton?

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Here are 6 facts you need to know before registering.

November's elections are six short weeks away, so it's paramount everyone who can vote is registered.

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. There are 7,405,212 voters registered in Michigan as of Sunday, according to the Michigan Voter Information Center

“Throughout the country, on this day in particular, people are recognizing the importance of registering to vote,” Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said in a news release. “That makes Tuesday the perfect opportunity to register if you haven’t done so already."

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In recognition of the event, the Secretary of State Mobile Office will be open for business 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday outside Lansing City Hall. 

Other locations throughout Michigan will hold events to recognize National Voter Registration Day. To find them, visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org/event.

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Here are six things you'll need to know before registering to vote:

1. Am I eligible to vote?

To be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by election day on Nov. 5, a resident of Michigan and a resident of the city or township where you are applying to register to vote.

2. Where do I get a registration form?

You can find registration forms at the event mentioned above; a local Secretary of State branch office; a local county, city, or township clerk's office; offices of several state agencies, like the Department of Human Services, the Department of Community Health, and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth; military recruitment centers; or online.

3. Do I need identification?

If you hand-deliver your application, the staff person helping you will take your form and ask you to provide photo identification. If you have never registered to vote in Michigan and choose to mail in your application, you will need to meet an identification requirement. This means you must do one of the following:

  • enter your driver's license number or personal identification card number where requested on the form
  • send a copy of one of the following forms of identification with your application:
    • a photocopy of your driver's license or personal ID card, or
    • a photocopy of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank document or government document that lists both your name and your address.

4. Where do I submit the form?

If not registering online, you must ensure the registration forms are delivered to a designated National Voter Registration Day representative, like at the event mentioned above, or the correct local elections offices, as mentioned in point number two above.


5. When is the last day to register?

You must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election. The last day to register to vote in the November elections is Oct. 7. 

6. When do I get my voter card?

Your city or township clerk will send you a voter registration card upon processing your application. Keep it in your wallet or purse so you know where to go to cast your ballot.


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