Northville and Novi voters who already have their absentee ballots filled out can skip the regular voting line starting Saturday, July 25, thanks to new express lanes at the county-run early voting site at Novi Civic Center.
Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Brown announced the express lanes on Thursday, July 23, saying they will let absentee ballot holders feed their ballots through a tabulator without waiting in line behind in-person voters. If the machine flags an error, the voter can correct it on the spot and resubmit.
That matters more than usual in an August primary. Brown said election workers see higher rates of spoiled ballots during primaries than in general elections, often because voters accidentally cross party lines. Michigan's partisan primary does not allow split-ticket voting.
"Feeding your absentee ballot through the tabulator yourself at your early voting site gives you the opportunity to correct any mistakes on the spot," Brown said. "You've taken the time to fill out your ballot – make sure your vote counts."
Where and when
The Novi Civic Center, 45175 W. Ten Mile Road, serves as the early voting site for voters in Novi, Novi Township, and Northville. Early voting runs Saturday, July 25, through Sunday, Aug. 2, according to county schedules published in the Oakland Press. Specific daily hours were not available from county sources at press time; voters can check elections.oaklandcountymi.gov or michigan.gov/vote for schedules.
The express lane system applies to county-run early voting sites. Oakland County's Elections Division partnered with local clerks in 2023 to pilot early voting and has expanded the program each cycle since.
What's on the ballot
The Tuesday, Aug. 4, primary includes races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Senate, and state House, along with judicial contests, according to the City of Novi's official notice of election published Thursday, July 23. Novi voters in most precincts will also see the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District 1.5-mill enhancement millage. Voters in Novi precincts 16, 24, and 25, which fall within the Northville Public Schools district, will vote on a 20-mill operating millage replacement.
Other ways to return a ballot
Voters who prefer not to visit an early voting site can hand-deliver their signed and sealed absentee ballot to their local clerk's office or a secure ballot drop box. All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 4.
On Election Day itself, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Once a ballot has been fed through a tabulator at an early voting site, it cannot be changed or spoiled.
Voters can track their absentee ballot status at michigan.gov/vote.
