(Intro)

Hello Michigan! If you are a US citizen who will be 18 or older by November 8, 2016, a resident of any county in Michigan, and are not currently incarcerated, congratulations, you have come to the right video, because you can vote. First you need to register, though, and if you're not sure whether or not you're registered already, there's a link in the description where you can go check right now. If you're not registered, or you've moved or changed your name since the last election, you'll have to register by mail.  I know that's a pain, and it's gonna cost you a stamp, but you can print off a form using the link below and mail it in by October 11th if you want to be registered in time for the November presidential election. Otherwise, you can find a paper application at your local Secretary of State branch office, or city, county, or township clerk's office if you don't have access to a printer. Links to all of those offices are in the description.

Once you've registered, you get to vote. In most cases, you're going to be voting in person on November 8th, but you can vote absentee by mail if you will be out of state on election day. That includes if you're a student in another state but would prefer to vote in Michigan, you're over 60, or you can't vote without assistance, or if you have a religious belief that doesn't allow you to get to the polls. If any of those apply to you, you can request a ballot by printing out the form in the link below and mailing it to your local clerk. You can request your ballot any time between now and November 5th at noon, but the sooner you get your request in, the longer you'll have to look it over, and research candidates, and vote, before you send it in by November 8th.

For everyone else, there's a link to find out where you need to go vote in person on November 8th. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm and you'll need to show a photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, student ID, passport, military, or tribal ID are all acceptable.

You can also go to michigan.gov/vote to look at a sample ballot that tells you everything you'll be able to vote for besides the presidential election. You don't have to vote on every single thing on the ballot. You can leave things blank if you want to, but your local elections can be very important, so it's worth checking out what's on there ahead of time. You can even print out, and fill out a sample ballot out, and bring it with you to the polls, so you don't forget who you wanted to vote for. All the links you need to check your registration, and polling location, and get your sample ballot are in the description. Thank you for voting.