Did You Know?
The Michigan Voter Information Center is your one-stop source for election information.
Whether you:
- Need to register to vote
- Check your voter registration status
- Find your polling location
- View a sample ballot
- Request or track an absentee ballot
- Learn about upcoming election dates
The information is available online at Michigan.gov/Vote. This official State of Michigan resource is regularly updated and provides voters with the tools and information needed to participate confidently in every election.
Important Happenings
- Permanent Absentee Voter Applications were mailed out on 6/16/26.
- Absentee Ballots to be Mailed out the week of 6/22/26
- Please verify that your mailing address is correct. USPS will not forward your ballot.
- Visit michigan.gov/vote; Click on "Am I Registered"; Click on "Absentee Ballot"
- Please verify that your mailing address is correct. USPS will not forward your ballot.
- Pre-Election Weekend Hours: Saturday, August 1st, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Next Election: August 4, 2026
In-Person Voting
Watersmeet Township Community Center
N4689 1st Street
Watersmeet, MI 49969
7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Early Voting
Gogebic County Courthouse
Annex Courtroom
200 N Moore Street
Bessemer, MI 49911
Early Voting Hours (Daily)
Saturday July 25, 2026 - Sunday August 2, 2026
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
August Primary Election Information
The August Election is a Primary Election. The ballot contains candidates from multiple political parties, but voters may vote for candidates in only one party's section throughout the entire ballot.
For example, if you vote for a Republican candidate in one partisan race, all other partisan votes on your ballot must also be for Republican candidates. Likewise, if you vote for a Democratic candidate in one partisan race, all other partisan votes must be for Democratic candidates. Votes cast for candidates from more than one political party are considered cross-party voting and cannot be counted for those partisan offices.
Voters may still vote on all nonpartisan offices and ballot proposals that appear on the ballot, regardless of which party's candidates they choose to vote for.
If you have questions about voting in the Primary Election, please contact the Township Clerk or visit Michigan.gov/Elections.
Important Absentee Voter Information
Permanent Absentee Voting Application List to be Discontinued
Permanent Absent Voter Applications for the 2026 election cycle will be mailed during the week of June 15, 2026. However, Watersmeet Township is discontinuing its Permanent Absent Voter Application List. Beginning with future elections, absentee ballot applications will no longer be mailed automatically before every election.
Michigan voters now have the option to join the Permanent Mail Ballot List. If you choose this option, an absentee ballot will automatically be mailed to you for every election in which you are eligible to vote. You will not need to submit a new application for each election.
To receive an absentee ballot for a specific election, you may:
- Request the township clerk mail you an AV ballot application or download an AV ballot application from Michigan.gov/Elections (select "How to Vote in Michigan" under "Elections and Voting"), and return it by mail, email (townclerk@watersmeet.us), or in person.
- Submit an online AV ballot application at Michigan.gov/Vote.
- Join the Permanent Mail Ballot List by marking the box on the AV ballot application
For questions or assistance, contact the Watersmeet Township Clerk at townclerk@watersmeet.us.
What Is the Permanent Mail Ballot List?
Michigan voters may choose to join the Permanent Mail Ballot List. Voters on this list automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election in which they are eligible to vote, eliminating the need to submit a new absentee ballot application before each election.
The Permanent Mail Ballot List replaced Michigan's former Permanent Absent Voter Application List, which only provided voters with an absentee ballot application before each election. Under the new system, eligible voters receive the actual ballot automatically.
To join the Permanent Mail Ballot List, simply select the appropriate option on an absentee ballot application or apply online through the Michigan Voter Information Center at Michigan.gov/Vote.
To read more about the Michigan Permanent Mail Ballot List, Click Here>
Which Absentee Voting List Am I On?
If you were previously on the Permanent Absent Voter (AV) Application List and did not receive an absentee ballot application this year, you may have chosen to join Michigan's Permanent Mail Ballot List already. Voters who selected the Permanent Mail Ballot List option by checking the box on a previous absentee ballot application are automatically mailed an absentee ballot for each election in which they are eligible to vote. As a result, they no longer receive absentee ballot applications before every election.
To check your absentee voter status, visit Michigan.gov/Vote and click "Am I Registered?" under "Your Voter Information." After entering your information, your absentee voter status will be displayed on the right side of the screen.
Keep Your Mailing Address Current!
Absentee ballots are not forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service. If you spend part of the year at another residence, attend college, travel for an extended period, or expect to be away from home before or during an election, be sure to update the mailing address where you would like your absentee ballot sent.
You may provide a different mailing address for your absentee ballot by:
- Requesting your ballot online at Michigan.gov/Vote and entering your preferred mailing address.
- Contacting the Watersmeet Township Clerk by email. townclerk@watersmeet.us
- Sending a signed written request to the Clerk's Office with your temporary mailing address.
Keeping your absentee ballot mailing address current helps ensure that your ballot is delivered to the correct location and arrives in time for you to vote.