Early voting starts Oct. 24: where and when to vote early in Oakland County
Early in-person voting for the Nov. 3 election runs Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1, at sites around the county. Here are the locations, hours and ID rules, and what to do with an absentee ballot.
By OCJ Staff
Oakland County voters can cast a ballot in person before Election Day starting Saturday, Oct. 24. Early voting runs nine days, through Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the Oakland County Clerk's Office.
Early voters fill out a ballot and feed it into a tabulator themselves, just as they would at the polls on Election Day.
Hours
The county clerk's early voting page lists these hours for every day of the early voting period:
- Saturday through Wednesday, and Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 29: noon to 8 p.m.
Waterford Township's notice lists an 8 a.m. opening for its two sites, so hours may differ slightly by community. Check with your city or township clerk before you go.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where to vote early
Most Oakland County communities are assigned to a regional early voting site. Voters from any of the communities below can use their assigned regional site or the central site at the Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Road, Waterford, according to the county clerk.
| If you live in | Your regional site |
|---|---|
| Berkley, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge | Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park |
| Ferndale, Hazel Park, Royal Oak Township | Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd., Hazel Park |
| Madison Heights, Royal Oak | Leo Mahany/Harold Meininger Royal Oak Senior Center, 3500 Marais Ave., Royal Oak |
| Lathrup Village, Southfield | Southfield Pavilion, Parks & Rec Dept., Room 115, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield |
| Farmington, Farmington Hills | Costick Community Center, 28600 W. 11 Mile Road, Farmington Hills |
| Novi, Novi Township, Northville | Novi Civic Center, 45175 W. 10 Mile Road, Novi |
| Lyon Township, Milford Township | Lyon Township Hall, 58000 Grand River Ave., New Hudson |
| Commerce Township, Walled Lake, Wixom | Commerce Township Community Library, 180 E. Commerce St., Commerce |
| West Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake, Sylvan Lake | West Bloomfield Township Public Library, 4600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield |
| Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, Southfield Township | Bloomfield Township Public Library, 1099 Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills |
| Clawson, Troy | Troy Community Center (east entrance), 3179 Livernois Road, Troy |
| Highland Township, White Lake Township | Highland Township Hall Auditorium, 205 N. John St., Highland |
| Waterford Township, Lake Angelus | Waterford Township Public Library, 5168 Civic Center Drive, Waterford |
| Pontiac | Pontiac Public Library, 60 E. Pike St., Pontiac |
| Oakland Township, Rochester Hills | Rochester Hills Public Library, 500 Olde Towne Road, Rochester |
| Holly Township, Rose Township, Springfield Township | Springfield Oaks Activity Center, 12451 Andersonville Road, Davisburg |
| Independence Township | Brady Lodge at Bay Court Park, 6970 Andersonville Road, Clarkston |
| Addison Township, Orion Township, Oxford Township | Orion Recreation Center, 3800 S. Baldwin Road, Lake Orion |
Not on the list? Voters in the cities of Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Fenton, Rochester, South Lyon and the City of the Village of Clarkston, and in Brandon and Groveland townships, should contact their local clerk for early voting information, the county says.
The county's early voting page also lists bus and senior transportation options for each site, including SMART routes and community senior services. Find it at elections.oaklandcountymi.gov under "Voter Information."
What ID to bring
When voting in person, accepted ID includes a current or expired Michigan driver's license or state ID; a current driver's license or ID from another state; a current federal, state or local government photo ID; a current U.S. passport; a current school ID with photo; or a current military or tribal ID with photo, C&G Newspapers reported.
"Those without photo ID will still be allowed to vote," Farmington Hills Clerk Carly Lindahl told C&G, "but must complete an affidavit stating they are not in possession of picture ID."
Already have an absentee ballot?
Absentee ballots can be returned any time until polls close at 8 p.m. Nov. 3, C&G reported. Waterford Township lists five ways to return one: by mail with prepaid postage, in person at the clerk's office, in a township drop box, by putting it in the tabulator at an early voting site, or by putting it in the tabulator at your polling place on Election Day.
West Bloomfield Clerk Debbie Binder encouraged voters to bring their absentee ballot to an early voting center or to their precinct.
"You get to tabulate it yourself. So, if there is any kind of error, you would get to spoil that ballot and receive a new one," Binder told C&G.
Farmington Hills' Lindahl reminded absentee voters to sign the outer purple envelope where indicated; the ballot isn't valid without it, C&G reported.
Voters can still request an absentee ballot online at Michigan.gov/Vote or from their local clerk. In Waterford, absentee ballots are available at the clerk's office until Monday, Nov. 2, according to the township.
Testing the equipment
The county clerk's office scheduled public tests of its early voting equipment for Oct. 14 through 16. It will hold a public accuracy test of the equipment for the county's absentee ballot counting board on Monday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. in the Board of Canvassers training room, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac. The public may watch.
"The public testing of election equipment is done before every election to ensure our elections are accurate and secure," County Clerk Lisa Brown said in a news release.
What's on the ballot
Along with races for governor, U.S. Senate and other offices, every Michigan voter will see two statewide proposals: Proposal 1, on whether to call a convention to rewrite the state constitution, and Proposal 2, which would bar campaign contributions from regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with more than $250,000 a year in government contracts and people closely tied to them to officeholders and candidates for offices that affect them, and would expand campaign finance disclosure rules, according to the official ballot language.
Local questions vary by community. Our guides:
- School bonds and millages
- Museum, zoo, police, fire and city questions
- Pontiac's road bond and Clawson's Renshaw question
- Library millages and bonds
- Public safety bonds, pathways and more
Check your sample ballot and your polling place at Michigan.gov/Vote.
This story uses information from the Oakland County Clerk's Office, including its early voting page, its Oct. 12 news release and its official Nov. 3 proposal list; Waterford Township's Oct. 13, 2026, board agenda; and reporting from C&G Newspapers.