Michigan: Do you need an ID to vote?
Michigan asks in-person voters for photo ID. A voter without one can sign an affidavit and vote a regular ballot.
The state constitution lets voters prove their identity with photo ID from a federal, state, local or tribal government or a school. A voter without photo ID, or who didn't bring it, can sign an affidavit at the polls instead. The constitution says signing the affidavit alone can't force the voter onto a provisional ballot. Affidavit voters can still be challenged under the usual challenge rules.
Conditions
- Show photo ID or sign an affidavit at the polls
What the law says
[...] at each election, before being given a ballot, each registered elector offering to vote must identify himself or herself [...] the individual shall sign an affidavit to that effect before an election inspector [...] A voter shall not be required to vote a provisional ballot solely because they executed an affidavit
Sources
- MCL 168.523 Official · legislature.mi.gov
- Mich. Const. art. II, § 4 Official · legislature.mi.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections
- Website
- michigan.gov
How bordering states compare
- Indiana Photo ID requiredIndiana requires a government-issued photo ID. A voter without one votes provisionally and must follow up within 10 days.
- Ohio Photo ID requiredOhio requires in-person voters to show photo ID. Without one, a provisional ballot counts only if ID is shown within four days.
- Wisconsin Photo ID requiredWisconsin requires photo ID to vote; without it, the vote counts only if ID is shown by 4 p.m. the Friday after the election.