Deadline to request absentee ballots nears, voters have until Oct. 30 to register

The last day to request an absentee ballot for the 2010 election is approaching.

For registered voters who will be away from their registered areas Nov. 2, an absentee ballot is the way to vote. They can request from their local clerk’s office as late as 2 p.m. Oct. 30. Students must return their ballot to their registered office by 8 p.m. on election day.

“I like voting this way because I can be lazy on Nov. 2,” said Lake Orion freshman Stephanie Nummer. “Although it’s nice not to have to go wait in line, it’s hard having to remember to mail it in. You have more time to forget about it.”

To be eligible to vote by absentee ballot, a person must fit one of six qualifications set by Michigan’s voting guidelines. The one in which students fit is “expecting to be out of town on election day. You must also have voted in your registered area once if you registered to vote by mail.

To apply for an absentee ballot, students can download an application or pick up a printed application from their local clerk’s office. Voters must include their name, address and reason for requesting a ballot.

“An absentee ballot is a great way to vote,” said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land. “The ballot only takes a few minutes to fill out and it gives you the opportunity to shape the government at every level.”

After mailing back the ballot to a local clerk’s office, voters can log on to www.michigan.gov/vote and check the status of their ballot, Chesney said.

“This website is almost like FedEx for voting,” she said. “You can see when your local clerk has received your ballot, so you know that your vote has been counted.”

Chesney recommended this method of voting to students.

Lake Orion freshmen Jennifer Avakian is voting via absentee ballot this election and encouraged other students to do the same.

“The best part is that your vote can still count no matter where you are the day of the election,” she said. “It’s not like you feel out of place because you’re not voting at the polls. I’m still voting, which makes me feel important.”