A Young Voters’ Guide to the Election

In 2022, Michigan had the highest youth turnout in the nation. Welcome to your role as a voting citizen!

Recognize Your Importance

Elections impact you. From local schools to garbage collection to library services, you are affected by public servants making decisions on your behalf.

You impact elections. Whether you choose a candidate, support a proposal, only vote for some of the issues on the ballot or choose not to vote at all, what you decide to do with your vote matters.

Paperwork and Procedure

Know your basic voting information, including checking your registration and voting location.

You can legally vote once in any election using only one address. Check the Michigan Secretary of State information on Student Voting to verify that your voting address matches your official residence.

In Michigan, mail-in absentee voting is available to anyone. It’s a great choice if you can’t make it to your voting location on election day or need more time to fill out and return your ballot. Pay attention to deadlines and drop-off locations.

If you vote in-person, you experience the excitement of election day in a community setting. There’s also the fun of nabbing a free sticker, but don’t forget:

Verify your voting location (also called a polling location) and hours. If you are in line to vote before the location closes, stay in line. You will be allowed to vote.
Bringing your identification makes voting easier, but if you forget your ID you can still vote. You will fill out an affidavit, which is a legal document, confirming your identity.
Bring notes or a list of how you want to vote for each race or issue. It’s easy to forget who you thought was the best for which office, especially if many issues are on the ballot.
In Michigan, you can take a picture of your own ballot while in the voting booth, but other photographs are not allowed. Save your selfies for later, and know that election-related clothing is not allowed inside voting locations.
Trained election workers will help you on election day. When you are done voting, they will show you how to submit your ballot. Do not hesitate to ask them questions, and don’t forget your sticker!

Whether you vote at home or in-person: always turn your ballot over to check you’ve completed everything you want to vote for.

Investigate the Issues, Choose Your Candidates

Very few elections have only one issue or race at stake. Although you are not obligated to vote on every question, it helps to be prepared. If you request an absentee ballot, you will receive a physical copy before the election, but you can always view your ballot online ahead of time.

Once you know what’s on the ballot, you have decisions to make. The best general advice is to check multiple sources for information and accuracy, but read on for more tips.

Your first instinct might be to ask friends and family for opinions. They know you and can offer personal insight; while they may be helpful, you should still verify the facts.
Use nonpartisan or local resources that compile information about ballot issues, including the League of Women Voters site and local newspapers.
Check candidate websites and social media for what they say is important to them. You can try to contact the candidate or their staff directly with questions.
Verify claims you see in political ads using an independent source.
Investigate candidates beyond their party affiliation.
Learn more about nonpartisan races by looking for endorsements from political parties or groups, or by attending local party meetings or forums.
Ballot proposals can be confusing. Make sure you understand what it means to vote yes or no.

Keep in mind that you do not need to mark a vote for everything. If you leave some races or issues blank, everything else you vote on still counts.

After You Vote, Follow Up

Track election results via live reporting, or find official results via Canton Township, Wayne County, the State of Michigan or national news.

Once the winners are declared, you can contact them with issues after the election whether you voted for them or not. These are public servants who represent you.

To find out more about what your elected officials are doing for you, follow them on your preferred social media or digital platform. You might be interested in Canton Township Government, the Wayne County Michigan Instagram or even representative webpages like State Senator Dayna Polehanki, who represents Canton Township in the Michigan Senate until 2027.

Other Things to Know

Your vote is your own, and does not have to align with anyone else’s. Who you vote for is private, but whether you vote is public information.
The Electoral College isn’t just a history lesson, it impacts modern presidential elections, and was the deciding factor as recently as 2016.
Other countries have other election systems, and even within the United States there are different ways of voting.

Voting is your right and your privilege. It can be a lot to wrap your head around, especially your first time.

Canton Public Library is committed to the values of democracy and supporting an informed and involved electorate. We hope these resources are useful to you this election season; please stop by the Information Desk if you have more questions. Our librarians are always happy to help!

Other Resources for New Voters

Check out suggested books for new voters that cover a variety of topics from voting to government.
The Michigan Department of State First-Time Voters webpage includes step-by-step details for new voters.
The League of Women Voters’ First-Time Voter Checklist also takes you through the process, but without the state-specific focus.
Michiganvoting.org has troubleshooting tips and answers questions regarding accessibility, what to do if you make a mistake on your ballot and how to handle voter intimidation.