Absentee Voting for November 3

Drop Box, 270 River Ave., Across from Centennial Park

The November 3 general election is a short time away, and City of Holland residents can start casting ballots as early as today! 

Steps to vote:

Step 1: Check your voter registration. 

Make sure you’re registered to vote by entering your voter information here. All Michigan residents over the age of 18, who are U.S. citizens, who aren’t currently serving a sentence in jail or prison, and who will have maintained residence in the City for at least 30 days by Election Day are eligible to vote here. If you have a misdemeanor or felony conviction and have finished your sentence or are being held in jail awaiting trial, you are still eligible to vote. 

If you’re not registered, register to vote online through Oct. 19 using your current Michigan driver’s license or state ID card. 

Or go into the Clerk’s office at 270 River Ave. and register to vote any time through Election Day. Bring an official document that proves where you live, such as a: 

• Driver’s license or state ID

• Current utility bill

• Bank statement

• Paycheck

• Government document, including a government check

Step 2: Voting. 

There are two main ways you can vote, either in Person or by Absentee. There are then two absentee voting options: voting by mail or voting absentee in person. To vote absentee in person, you can visit the City of Holland City Clerk at 270 River Ave. You can apply for an absentee ballot, fill it out and submit it all in one visit until 4 p.m. on Nov. 2. 

If you’re registering for the first time, you can register and cast an in-person absentee ballot on Election Day, Nov. 3

To vote by mail, carry on with the steps below. 

Step 3: Your Ballot.

Many Holland residents have chosen this past summer to have an Absentee ballot sent to them. If that’s you, simply wait until you’ve received yours. If you would like to vote by Absentee, but haven’t requested a ballot yet, you can file an absentee ballot application and send it to the City of Holland. To do this Apply online for an absentee ballot to be sent to you in the mail any time before 5 p.m. Oct. 30. You can also download an application, fill it out and return it to your clerk by email, mail, fax or in person.  It is advisable however to make that request before Oct. 12. After that, go into your clerk and get a ballot in person just to be certain there will be time to fill it out and return it. It is illegal to apply for an absentee ballot in someone else’s name, so make sure you’re representing only yourself. 

Step 4: Choose your candidates. 

Once you receive your absentee ballot, read the instructions and fill it out as soon as you’re certain of who you’d like to elect. 

Fill in the circle next to your preferred candidate’s name completely. If you made a mistake, you have the option to “spoil” your ballot and get a new one. If that happens to you, skip to the final section of spoiling you ballot.

In this election, you can split your ticket by voting for candidates from both political parties for different offices, or you can choose to vote “straight ticket,” which would select all partisan candidates from one political party. If you choose to vote straight ticket, don’t miss the nonpartisan candidates and local ballot questions that don’t fall under one political party. 

Step 5: Sign your ballot envelope. 

When you received your ballot, you should have gotten instructions, a secrecy sleeve and a second, larger envelope. 

Put your ballot inside the secrecy sleeve. Then put that inside the larger envelope. Be sure to sign the outside of the envelope in the big box indicated for signatures. 

Once your ballot reaches the clerk’s office, you can check whether your signature was accepted by entering your voter information here. 

Step 6: Return your ballot to your clerk. 

There are three options for getting your ballot back to your clerk: 

• Drop it in a ballot drop box

• Mail it back

• Take it to your clerk’s office

To drop your ballot in a drop box, visit City Hall at 270 River Ave. To mail back your ballot, affix the necessary amount of postage (two .55 cent stamps) to the outside envelope. 

Please mail your ballot by Oct. 19, two weeks before the election, to account for any potential postal delays. Normally, ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. However, currently, ballots that are postmarked by Nov. 2 will be counted as long as they reach clerks within two weeks after the election — though it’s still better to send your ballot as early as possible just in case. 

If it’s getting close to Election Day and you want to be certain your ballot makes it in time, return your ballot by hand to the Clerk’s office at 270 River Ave. You can do this any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

To check whether the Clerk received your ballot. 

You can check whether the Clerk received your voter application, whether they sent it, and whether they received it online here. 

If you sent your ballot back to the Clerk and a week has passed  and the clerk still hasn’t indicated they’ve received it, you may need to spoil your ballot and cast a new one (more on that below). Same goes for if you dropped your ballot in a drop box and it’s not updated within a couple days. 

If it gets close to the election and that’s the case, call the Clerk’s Office at (616) 355-1301 to double check. If they didn’t receive it, ask them how you can spoil your ballot. 

If you change your mind or made a mistake, spoil and recast your ballot. 

If you made a mistake, changed your mind, or your ballot looks like it won’t reach your clerk in time, you may want to “spoil” your ballot and cast a new one. Spoiling a ballot is the same as canceling the old one. 

Typically, you’ll need to write to the Clerk asking them to spoil the ballot, sign it and date it. You can often write a note, take a picture of it, and email it to your clerk instead. To be sure, call your clerk and ask what you need to do.

The clerk will then cancel your old ballot and send you a new one. If it’s close to Election Day, they may advise you to come in and vote in person. 

If the canceled ballot reaches you or the clerk after you’ve spoiled it, it won’t count. Make sure you vote on the new ballot issued to you. 

The latest you can spoil a ballot is 4 p.m. on Nov. 2, the day before the election. If you spoil your ballot at the last minute, ask your clerk what your options are to cast your vote.