Go Vote! FAQs

Question:  Why do only ½ of young registered voters (Age 18-24) vote in midterms?  In the last midterm only 18.6% voted.

Answer:  It can be because of a poorly understood quirk of Michigan law that trips up many first-time voters.

Unless you register to vote in person, that is, at your city or township clerk’s office or at the Secretary of State, you can’t get an absentee ballot by mail for the first election you vote in.  Rather, for your first election, you have to vote in person on Election Day, or request your absentee ballot in person at your clerk’s office.  (Source: U.S. Census Data)

Registering at a voter registration drive does NOT count as in person, unless the clerk or the clerk’s deputy is present. This requirement disproportionately affects college students, who often expect to request an absentee ballot while they’re away at school but find out too late that they can’t do that.

How can you get involved?

Join the Indivisible District 11 volunteers and awaken pride in civic engagement by taking a high school or college student on a journey to the polls!!  Email us at Awaken@indivisibleMI11.org to get involved.