City of Grandville, MI

APPLY ONLINE FOR YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT
You can apply online through the Michigan Voter Information Center (MVIC).
At the General Election in November of 2018, Proposal 3 a Constitutional Amendment passed unanimously statewide. This constitutional amendment affects deadlines to register to vote, how they become registered to vote and who can vote by absentee ballot.

WHO CAN VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT IN PERSON OR THROUGH THE MAIL
All voters can apply to vote by absentee ballot either in person at the Grandville Clerk’s Office or through mail. To request an absentee ballot, complete an application online for Absentee Ballot which can be found on the Michigan Voter Information Center or by calling the Grandville Clerk’s Office to request an application be mailed. Ballots are available 45 days prior to each election date.

HOW CAN VOTERS VOTE BY MAIL FOR ALL SCHEDULED ELECTIONS?
The Clerk's Office maintains an Automatic Absent Voter List which mails an application for absentee ballot for all elections scheduled in the City of Grandville. If voters are interested in getting placed on the Automatic Absent Voter List call the Grandville City Clerk’s Office at (616) 531-3030.

WHEN CAN VOTERS VOTE BY MAIL?
Absentee ballots are available 45 days prior to every election. Registered Voters can request an application to have a ballot mailed. The deadline to request a ballot and have ballot mailed to voter is the Friday before every election at 5 p.m.

WHEN CAN VOTERS APPLY IN PERSON FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS?
Voters can request a ballot until 4 p.m. on the Monday before election. If voter applies for ballot in person at the Clerk’s Office until on Monday before election, voter will be required to vote ballot at the Clerk’s Office. The Grandville Clerk’s Office will be open a minimum of 8 hours the weekend before every election to process absentee ballot applications and ballots to voters. Please call the Grandville City Clerk’s Office at (616) 531-3030 for information on scheduled weekend hours or see the Michigan Voter Information Center website at www.michigan.gov/vote to obtain additional hours for processing absentee applications and ballots.

New voters can register to vote on Election Day at the Grandville City Clerk’s Office with identification and residency identification. New Voters can also apply for an absentee ballot and vote in person when they register to vote on Election Day at the Grandville City Clerk’s Office only, until 8 p.m. Election Day.

THE CONVENIENCE OF VOTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

The Grandville Clerk’s Office maintains a Automatic Absent Voter List, which is a list of voters who regularly choose to vote by absentee ballot. From this list, Applications for an Absentee Ballot are mailed out for every election as required by Michigan Election Law. If you would like to be placed on our Automatic Absent Voter List, please fill out the attached request and return it to the Clerk’s Office.

FAQsQ. What steps do I have to take to receive an Application?
A. You may request to be placed on the Automatic Absentee Voter List. From that list, Applications are automatically mailed each election. If you choose to not be placed on the permanent list, you may call the Clerk’s Office and request an Application be sent for any particular election.

Q. How to complete the Application?
A. The Application will either be for one or two upcoming elections. The date or dates will be printed at the top of the Application. Please verify your residential address and mailing address. Make any changes if necessary. If you wish the Ballot be sent to an alternate address other than your current residence, make sure to provide the alternate address where indicated on the Application. Sign, date and return the Application in the envelope provided.

Q. Do I qualify to receive an Absentee Ballot?
A. Under Proposal 3, a constitutional amendment passed by Michigan voters in November, 2018 EVERY Michigan voter has the right to vote by absentee ballot – no reason is required. You MUST return the absent voter application each election in order to receive a ballot.

Q. What happens next?
A. All applications are reviewed for completeness and signatures are compared to those in our data base. Your ballot will be mailed to you at the address you indicate as soon as the Ballots are available for mailing. Typically this is four to five weeks in advance of the election.

Q. What is your next step?
A. In the privacy of your home, vote the candidates and issues of your choice. Place the Ballot back in the secrecy sleeve and envelope provided. Sign the outside of the envelope where indicated. You may return the ballot via US Mail, place in the white Grandville drop box located in the parking lot of City Hall , or hand deliver the ballot to the Clerk’s Office.

Q. What if I want to vote at the precinct?
A. Simply do not fill out the absentee application and go to your precinct on Election Day to vote. Or, if you have received your Absentee Ballot, simply surrender the Ballot at your precinct on Election Day and vote in the precinct. You will have to complete an affidavit to spoil the ballot.

Q. I made a mistake on my absentee ballot. Can I receive a new one?
A. The deadlines to spoil an absent voter ballot have been moved from 2:00 P.M. on Saturday to 5:00 P.M. on the Friday before an election (to spoil by mail) and from 4:00 P.M. on Monday to 10:00 A.M. on the Monday before the election (to spoil in person).

Q. Which elections will I receive absentee ballot applications for?
A. An application will be mailed to all voters on the Permanent AV List for any election scheduled in Grandville.

Automatic Absent Voter List

The Grandville Clerk’s Office maintains a Automatic Absent Voter List. The Automatic Absent Voter List is a list of voters who vote by absentee ballot. All voters on the Automatic Absent Voter List are automatically sent an absentee ballot application for each election scheduled in Grandville.

However, the application for an absentee ballot must be completed for every election, required by Michigan Election Law in order to have a ballot mailed to the voter. To qualify you must apply in writing for each election you’re requesting to vote by absentee ballot. From this automatic absent voter list, absentee voter applications are mailed out for every election as required by Michigan Election Law. If you would like to be placed on our Automatic Absent Voter List, call the Grandville Clerk’s Office and request to be placed on the Automatic Absent Voter List

How to Request Absentee Ballot

If you find that you will not be able to vote at the polls on Election Day all voters have the option of voting by absentee ballot. A request or application must be filed for all elections when voting by absentee ballot. The process is the same as voting at precinct, the voter must fill out application before receiving a ballot. To request an application the voter can fill out the online form below, click the link under Election Documents for automatic absent voter application, print, complete, and sign the application, then either mail, email to elections@cityofgrandville.com or drop off to the Grandville City Clerks Office.

A voter may also call the Clerk’s Office at (616) 531-3030 to request an application be mailed. Ballots are available approximately 4 to 5 weeks prior to any scheduled election and applications can be requested and submitted 75 days prior to any election. If a voter will be out of town, the ballot can be mailed to an alternate address which should be indicated on their application when applying for a ballot. This option is great for college students or those voters out of state for months at a time. BY LAW, BALLOTS MAILED CANNOT BE FORWARDED, so it is important that we have the correct “mailing address” to mail the ballot. If your address changes for any reason after you have submitted your application, which may happen with college students especially, contact the Clerk’s Office with your updated mailing address so that your ballot will be delivered without any delay.

ABSENTEE BALLOT FACTS
Did You Know? You can vote in every election by absentee ballot. If applying for an absentee ballot in person at the Clerk’s Office, photo identification is required. If a voter has no photo identification, the voter will sign an affidavit of voter without photo identification prior to a ballot being issued. Without the voter present, issued ballots can only be mailed.

The Clerk’s Office must have a written request on file for every election before an absentee ballot can be issued. Voter may apply by application or send written letter with the following information: name, residential address, where ballot is to be mailed, date of election(s) requesting absentee ballot for and signature of the voter. You can apply by written request, application from your Clerk’s Office, fax, or scanned request transmitted via email at elections@cityofgrandville.com.

Voters can apply for an absentee ballot through the mail up to 5:00 P.M. the Friday prior to each election. Absentee ballots can be requested in person at the Clerk’s Office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to each election. If voter requests ballot on Monday prior to the election, the voter must vote the ballot in the clerk’s office; voter is not permitted to leave the clerk’s office with ballot. If voter requests ballot prior to the Monday before election, the voter can leave with the ballot and return it by the Election Day at 8 p.m. to be counted.

Upon receipt of an absentee ballot request the application must be verified. The signature appearing on the application is checked against the signature on applicant’s voter registration record and digital signature on file to verify applicant identity. If the signatures on file compared to application request do not match a letter will be sent to voter to request an updated signature and verify the applicant is applying for absentee ballot.

Voters have approximately 4-5 weeks in which absentee ballots are available. Voters may receive ballot through mail at residence, hospital, nursing home etc. within jurisdiction or at post office box if voter normally receives mail there. Voters can also receive a ballot at an address out of state or country if that address is provided on the application. If an absentee voter receives assistance in voting their ballot, the individual who provided assistance must sign certificate that appears on outside of ballot return envelope.

Absentee ballots are returned to the Clerk’s Office by mail in the envelope provided by the Clerk’s office in the following ways:

Via mail service
Outdoor Dropboxes available 24/7 (this box is emptied throughout the day and over weekends)
In person during normal business hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Wednesday 8:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.
Friday 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Grandville New Dropbox - outdoor Grandville New Ballot Dropbox - indoor

Absent Voter Ballots are not counted until Election Day and are kept in a secure, locked area when returned by voter until Election Day. It is important if voter makes mistake on ballot while voting at home to contact the Clerk’s Office in person or by phone to have the ballot replaced.

Election inspectors at the precincts and the Absent Voter Counting Board are made up of State of Michigan registered voters and are appointed by the City of Grandville Election Commission. Every inspector has gone through current training.