Office of the Secretary of State: Registration deadline near for August primary

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE

June 24, 2008

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land reminds residents that Monday, July 7 is the last day to register to vote in the Aug. 5 primary election.

"Both local and state offices may be on your primary ballot, including legislative and Congressional seats, and judicial races," said Land, the state's chief election officer. "If you are not yet registered to vote in Michigan, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. It's fast and easy. You can find a registration form online, at a branch office or at your local clerk's office."

To register, people must be at least 18 years old by Election Day and be U.S. citizens. They must also be residents of Michigan and of the city or township in which they wish to register.

Voters may register in person or by mail. The mail-in form is on the Department of State Web site at http://www.Michigan.gov/sos. First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled, or are overseas.

To check their registration status, voters may visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at http://www.Michigan.gov/vote. . Residents will be able to find information on voting by absentee ballot, using voting equipment and contacting their local clerk. They can also find a map to their local polling place.

Voters are again reminded of the identification requirement. They will be asked to present photo ID at the polls, such as a Michigan driver's license or identification card.

Voters who don't have a Michigan driver's license or identification card can show the following forms of photo ID:

Driver's license or personal identification card issued by another state Federal or state government-issued photo identification U.S. passport Military identification card with photo Student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, such as a college or university Tribal identification card with photo. Anyone who does not have an acceptable form of photo ID or is not carrying one can still vote. They will sign a brief form stating that they're not in possession of a photo ID. Their ballots will be included with all others and counted on Election Day.

Voters who qualify may choose to vote by absentee ballot on Election Day. As a registered voter, you may obtain an absentee voter ballot if you are:

Age 60 years old or older
unable to vote without assistance at the polls
expecting to be out of town on election day
in jail awaiting arraignment or trial
unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons
appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.

Additional information is available on the Department of State Web site at http://www.Michigan.gov/sos.