A message from the State of Michigan Bureau of Elections:
If you receive election mail – such as an absent voter ballot application or a notice of a change in polling place - for a resident who no longer lives at the address to which the mail was sent, take the steps below to inform your local election clerk.
Voters can receive absent voter ballots only after they have submitted a signed application and the clerk has reviewed the application, including the signature. An application being mailed to an out-of-date record does not mean that person will get an actual ballot. However, by informing your local clerk that a registered voter no longer lives at the address, you can help election officials maintain the voter registration list and keep it up to date.
(1) If the voter has moved, write “no longer at this address” on the envelope and place it back in the mail. Your election clerk will then send a confirmation notice to the voter, as required by law. If the voter does not respond to this notice and does not have other voter activity for a period of two consecutive federal elections, your clerk will cancel the voter registration. The clerk will also place the voter on a “verify” status, which requires the voter to fill out a form confirming eligibility before voting. If a voter wishes to have his or her registration cancelled immediately, the voter can make a signed, written request to cancel the registration to the local clerk.
(2) If the voter has died, write “deceased” on the envelope and place it back in the mail. Your election clerk will review the record as required by law and will cancel the voter registration record upon confirming that the voter is deceased. If you have information confirming the voter is deceased such as a county health office record or an obituary, you may provide that information to your local clerk if you choose to do so. If you choose to do this, provide a copy – not the original document.
