LANSING, MI –The South Washington Elections Unit opened to City of Lansing voters for walk-in absentee voting and voter registration on Monday, October 1, a week earlier than previously planned. Located at 2500 S. Washington, the Elections Unit offers free parking, a 24-hour secure drop box, and is conveniently located on CATA Route #2.
Walk-in absentee voting will be available at the Elections Unit until November 5th at the following times:
Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesdays 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
In addition to regular hours, the Elections Unit will be open the following weekend days:
Sunday, October 28 Noon – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 3 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Walk-in absentee voting is also available at the Clerk’s City Hall Office, located on the 9th floor of City Hall at 124 W. Michigan Avenue.
The voter registration deadline for the upcoming election is October 9th so anyone can go to either South Washington Election Unit or City Hall and register to vote. In comparing voter registration today compared to the last Presidential Election, there are over 2,000 less citizens register with currently 81,588 voters.
Due to the elimination of straight-party voting, voters will need to mark their canidate choice in each one of the partisan races on the ballot. This will more than double the number of marks necessary to fully vote a ballot, which may increase wait times at the polls. While Clerk Swope is actively recruiting more election workers to help alleviate anticipated lines, he also encourages anyone who is eligible to vote absentee to do so, which will help reduce the wait time at the polls.
In Michigan you are eligible to vote by absentee ballot if:
• You are 60 years of age or older
• You are physically unable to attend the polls without the assistance of another
• You expect to be absent from the City of Lansing for the entire time the polls are open on Election Day
• You cannot attend the polls because of the tenets of your religion
• You have been appointed a precinct worker in a precinct other than the precinct where you reside
• You are confined to jail awaiting arraignment or trial
Voters may request an absentee ballot by filling out the form available at lansingmi.gov/elections and returning it by mail, fax or email; by calling (517) 483-4131 to request an application for absentee ballot be mailed to them; or by completing a walk-in form at City Hall or the South Washington Elections Unit.
Absentee voters who want to skip the required $0.71 postage when returning their ballots may use the 24-hour secure drop boxes, which are located in the parking lot at the South Washington Elections Unit and on the sidewalk outside City Hall.
Voters are encouraged to go to the Lansing City Clerk Facebook page or visit lansingmi.gov/clerk to see the location of the drop box, and a short video about absentee voting and on how to access the Elections Unit Office.
“My goal is to make the voting process as easy and quick as possible,” said Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope. “By having two locations, evening and weekend hours, I try to eliminate as many hurdles as allowed by Michigan law to make our elections more accessible.”
