The Yemeni American News
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan, civic holiday meant to remind people of the importance of maintaining their registered status to vote. According to nationalvoterregistrationday.org, millions of Americans miss the opportunity to vote because of an issue involving their voter registration status.
“Every eligible American deserves the chance to participate in this year’s pivotal election,” said Mary Jo Durivage, preside of the League of Women Voters of Dearborn-Dearborn Heights. “Voter registration is the first step to ensuring your voice is heard. We want to make sure every Dearborn area resident who wants the opportunity to vote on Election Day is registered.”
Here in Michigan, you can check your voter registration status by clicking here for the Secretary of State’s tool. But for those who have not registered to vote yet, the process in Michigan is fairly easy with a number of ways to go through the process.
What You’ll Need to Register
In order to register to vote, you’ll first need to make sure that you’re eligible. There are few requirements in Michigan: U.S. Citizenship, being 18 years old, and having lived in Michigan for at least 30 days before the election. Someone registering to vote also must not be in jail or prison.
For people registering to vote, you’ll need to use your driver’s license or state ID for registering. The easiest way to register to vote with a driver’s license or state ID is to use the online voter registration tool through Michigan’s Secretary of State.
If you’d like to register through the mail, or in-person, you’ll need to print a voter registration form. For online or mail-in voting, the deadline to register is Oct. 19. Even though the deadline for registering in-person is up to election day, it’s crucial to register as early as possible.
Where to register or send your registration
For Michigan elections, you’ll need to send your registration to your local election official. For towns and cities in Metro Detroit, this means the City Clerk.
How to Register to Vote
The best place to find information on the process itself is directly at Michigan’s Secretary of State Website. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to fill out the application, and even links to applying online.
In an uncertain election year, there are a lot of reasons to make your voice heard. Taking centerstage is a number of issues that may decide the course of this country’s history for a long time. So please, get out and vote.
