DEPARTMENT OF STATE  
BUREAU OF ELECTIONS  
ONLINE ABSENT VOTER BALLOT APPLICATION  
(By authority conferred on the secretary of state by section 31 of the Michigan  
election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.31)  
R 168.31 Definitions.  
Rule 1. As used in these rules:  
(a) “Absent voter ballot application” means the paper application developed by the  
secretary of state or the online application described in R. 168.32.  
(b) “Jurisdiction” means the city or township in which the voter is registered.  
(c) “Manual digital signature” means a digitally captured image of a registered voter’s  
handwritten signature.  
(d) “Qualified Voter File” means the voter registration database maintained by the  
secretary of state.  
(e) “Stored digital signature” means the image of the registered voter’s signature  
captured by the department of state and maintained in the department of state’s  
motor vehicle database.  
History: 2022 MR 24, Eff. December 19, 2022.  
R 168.32 Maintenance of online absent voter ballot application; form.  
Rule 2. (1) The secretary of state shall maintain an online absent voter ballot  
application.  
(2) This online absent voter ballot application must provide an option that allows  
qualified and registered voters to request an absentee ballot for an election occurring in  
their jurisdiction.  
(3) The online absent voter ballot application must be in substantially the same form  
as the absent voter ballot application developed by the secretary of state under section  
759 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.759.  
History: 2022 MR 24, Eff. December 19, 2022.  
R 168.33 Use of digital signature on online absent voter ballot applications.  
Rule 3. (1) The online absent voter ballot application must provide an opportunity  
for a voter to use the voter’s stored digital signature on file with the secretary of state on  
the application.  
(2) In order to allow a voter to use the voter’s stored digital signature, the online  
absent voter ballot application must verify the voter’s identity and registration status by  
requesting the voter’s name, complete driver’s license or state ID number, full date of  
birth, last four digits of the voter’s social security number, and eye color.  
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Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
(3) For registered voters whose stored digital signature is on file with the secretary  
of state, the online absent voter ballot application must be signed with that stored digital  
signature.  
(4) Registered voters without a stored digital signature on file with the secretary of  
state may provide a manual digital signature by uploading a photograph of their physical  
handwritten signature to the online absent voter ballot application.  
(5) Completed online absent voter ballot applications, including digital signature,  
must be sent electronically through the Qualified Voter File to the city or township clerk  
for processing. An application signed using a stored digital signature or manual signature  
must be treated identically as an application signed with a physical handwritten signature.  
History: 2022 MR 24, Eff. December 19, 2022.  
R 168.34 Processing online absent voter ballot application.  
Rule 4. The clerk of a city or township shall process online absent voter ballot  
applications in the same manner as all absent voter ballot applications submitted by a  
voter pursuant to section 759 or 759a of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL  
168.759 or 168.759a.  
History: 2022 MR 24, Eff. December 19, 2022.  
R 168.35 Prohibited conduct.  
Rule 5. Online absent voter ballot applications are subject to the same prohibitions  
governing completion and submission of all absent voter ballot applications.  
History: 2022 MR 24, Eff. December 19, 2022.  
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Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
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