A beginners guide to voting

Elections are an exciting time for our community, but it can seem like a daunting process with lots of steps.

Thankfully, voting is very simple and easy to do, and our elections are very secure.

Plus, there’s plenty of information available to make sure you’re as prepared to vote.

The first thing you need to do is register to vote!

That can be done online or in your Clerk’s office.

Need to know where your Clerk is?

That can be found here.

If you can’t remember if you’re registered to vote, go here.

Once you’re registered to vote in the Township, you’ll be added to the Qualified Voter File.

Absentee voting is available to all registered voters in Michigan.

If you’d like to vote absentee, you need to apply first.

Comstock Township has applications online, which can be found on our website.

When registering to vote online, you can choose to be added to the permanent absentee voter list.

This means that you’ll be automatically sent an absent voter application for every election.

It’s important to remember that absent voter applications are NOT ballots and cannot be used to vote.

Once you receive your absent voter application, you fill it out, sign it and return it to your Clerk’s office, a drop box, or by mail if time allows.

Then the Township will make sure your signature on the application matches what’s in the Qualified Voter File.

If there is an issue with checking your signature, you’ll be required to come in and verify and possibly update your signature.

Once your application is received and accepted, you’ll be sent an absentee ballot.

You can fill out the absentee ballot whenever you have time and can take time to research candidates and proposals as you fill out the ballot.

Once your ballot is filled out,  it should be placed in the secrecy sleeve and then put into the return envelope. The envelope needs to be signed and then can be placed in our drop box or mailed to the Comstock Township PO Box 449, Comstock, MI 49041.

Once you return your absentee ballot, you can track it here.

You can always vote in person at your precinct.

To find your polling place, go here.

Polls open at 7 A.M. and close at 8 P.M. and you can vote as long as you’re in line at 8 in the evening.

When you arrive at the polls, you’ll be asked to show identification and complete a ballot application.

If you don’t have possession of photo identification, you can sign an affidavit.

However, if you tell the Election Inspectors you have identification, you’re required to show it to be issued a ballot.

You’ll be issued a ballot and secrecy sleeve.

Once you have voted your ballot, put it in your secrecy sleeve and take it to the election inspector by the tabulator and they’ll remove the tab from your ballot.

Take your ballot over to the tabulator.

Here we’re using this test ballot as a demonstration.

You can insert the ballot into the tabulator in any possible way and it will be accepted.

If your ballot was filled out correctly, the tabulator will display “Your vote has been counted.”

If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can spoil your ballot and get back in line to be issued a new ballot.

However, if you leave your ballot unattended, you will not be able to vote in that election.

You’re free to use your phone to research candidates and proposals.

You can also register and vote at the Clerk’s office on election day, with proof of residencies, such as a Michigan driver’s license, utility bill, bank statement, payroll, or government check.