Voting Terms Decoded!

Glossary

• Non-partisan

  Non-partisan can mean different things depending on the context. A “non-partisan” information or effort is not affiliated with a particular political party. A “non-partisan” race on the ballot is one that doesn’t indicate party affiliation.

• Straight Party Ticket

  Voting a “straight party ticket” is to vote for all the members of one party. To make this easier, some states, including Michigan, have straight party ticket voting. Straight party ticket voting is a feature that provides the option to vote for the party on all relevant races. This does not exclude voting for specific candidates in races that are not party affiliated.

• Registration

  Registration refers to the process of making oneself able to vote. People can be eligible to vote but they may not be registered to vote. Elections, even for national offices, are run by states. You therefore must be registered in the state that you want to vote in, and you can only be registered to vote in one state. Many states have different rules governing residency requirements, but most states allow college and university students that are living there during their studies to register to vote in that state.

• Clerk

  Clerks are frequently elected officers at the municipal (e.g., city/township/county) level. The responsibilities of clerks vary by state. Their typical duties involve election information and registration, record keeping, and publishing. From voter registration, precinct locations, and sample ballots, local clerks offices and their websites are frequently the best place to get information on election procedures in your area.

• Proof of Residency

  Proof of residency is a concept relating to the ability to register to vote and, in some cases, vote. In Michigan, you should expect to either present some form of official photo ID to vote or sign an affidavit attesting to your legal residency in the state to vote. State ID cards or sensitive documents showing your Michigan address are typically accepted as proof of residency. See the Michigan Secretary of State office for details. We reproduce their list here for accuracy.

  • Michigan driver’s license or state ID
  • Current utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Paycheck or government check
  • Other government document

• Early Voting

  Early voting is a feature in most states that allows voters to fill out and send in their ballots before election day. Michigan elections must all have at least nine days of early voting. For the general election, the last day of early voting for the general election goes through the weekend before the election (there is no voting on the Monday before the election). Because early voting can vary by state, we strongly encourage you to check your Secretary of State’s website or your local election clerk’s office.

• Absentee Voting

  Absentee voting is a system available in many states whereby voters can request a ballot early. That ballot can be either mailed in or dropped off in person. In the state of Michigan, you have 40 days before an election to contact your local clerk to get an absentee ballot. Excuses are no longer required. Check your local clerk’s office for information on absentee ballots.

• Vote by Mail

  Vote by mail, properly understood, is a system in some states where clerks mail out ballots to voters. Michigan does not have vote by mail, but that does not mean Michigan voters cannot mail ballots in by requesting their ballots and voting absentee.

• Secretary of State

  The Secretary of State is one of the main offices managing elections in the state. Their websites are often great resources for accessing information about voting. We encourage you to check your state’s Secretary of State website.