INKSTER, Mich. You are registered, you know your precinct and you have looked over your ballot. Before you walk into the polls, here is what Michigan law allows, what it bans and what to do if something feels wrong.

These rules apply on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, and at early voting at Inkster City Hall, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 1.

The rules at a glance

Allowed: bringing a voter guide or notes, bringing an interpreter, taking a selfie outside the voting area, voting without a photo ID by signing an affidavit.

Not allowed within 100 feet: campaigning, campaign shirts, hats, buttons or stickers, fliers, petition signing, and openly carried firearms.

Not allowed inside: photos or video in the voting area.

Leave the campaign gear at home

Michigan law bans campaigning within 100 feet of a polling place. That includes:

  • Asking people to vote for a candidate or ballot proposal
  • Wearing or carrying campaign clothing or accessories, such as shirts, hats, pins or stickers
  • Displaying campaign signs
  • Bringing campaign fliers or other partisan materials inside
  • Asking people to sign petitions, or signing one

If you show up in a shirt or button with a candidate's name or a campaign slogan, a poll worker will ask you to cover it or take it off. It is not a judgment about who you support. The rule applies to every candidate and every side, and it has been on the books for decades, according to the Michigan Department of State.

You can bring notes

You are allowed to bring a voter guide, a sample ballot or your own notes into the booth. Just take them with you when you leave so nobody else sees them as campaign material.

You can preview your exact ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center.

Take your selfie outside

Photos and video are not allowed in the voting area. That includes a picture of your ballot. If you want to show off your "I Voted" sticker, step outside first. Selfies outside the voting area are fine.

You do not need a photo ID to vote

This is one of the most misunderstood rules in Michigan. You can vote without a photo ID.

If you have one, you are asked to show it. If you do not have one, or you left it at home, you sign a short affidavit and you get your ballot. That ballot is counted like everyone else's, according to the Department of State.

Accepted photo IDs include:

  • A Michigan driver's license or state ID, even if it is expired
  • A driver's license or ID from another state (must be current)
  • A U.S. passport
  • A military ID
  • A school or college photo ID
  • A tribal photo ID
  • Another federal, state, county or local government photo ID
  • A concealed pistol license

Your ID does not need your current address, and it does not need to be a REAL ID. A shorter form of your name, like "Bill" for William, is fine.

Firearms: the 100-foot rule

Since April 2, 2025, Michigan law bans having a firearm within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place while the polls are open, and within 100 feet of an early voting site on days early voting is happening. The same law covers the area around ballot drop boxes and the clerk's office in the 40 days before an election.

There are limited exceptions, according to the Michigan Bureau of Elections:

  • Law enforcement on duty
  • A concealed pistol license holder carrying concealed. Open carry is not allowed.
  • A firearm lawfully kept inside a vehicle
  • Lawful carry on private property that happens to fall within the 100 feet

Voter intimidation is illegal

It is against state and federal law to try to scare someone out of voting or pressure them into voting a certain way. The Department of State lists examples of intimidation, including:

  • Someone who is not a poll worker demanding to see your documents
  • Photographing or videotaping voters at a polling place, early voting site, clerk's office or drop box
  • Spreading false information about the election
  • Blocking the entrance
  • Questioning voters directly

If it happens to you, tell a poll worker right away or contact the Inkster City Clerk's office. You can also call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline:

  • English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
  • Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
  • Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)

Who else might be in the room

You may see election challengers or poll watchers. They are allowed to be there under Michigan law, but they are not poll workers. They cannot help you vote, and poll watchers cannot interrupt the process. Only the election inspectors who work for the city run the polling place.

Not registered yet? You still have time

If you are not registered, or you moved and never updated your address, you can still vote. Go to the Inkster City Clerk's office at City Hall, 26215 Trowbridge St., with proof of where you live. You can register and vote there through 8 p.m. on Election Day. As long as you are in line at the clerk's office by 8 p.m., you can register and cast a ballot.

Quick reminders for Nov. 3

  • Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line when polls close, stay in line. You will be allowed to vote.
  • Go to your assigned polling place. Inkster has 11 precincts at 7 locations. Look yours up at the Michigan Voter Information Center or in our Inkster voting guide.
  • Skip Election Day lines. Early voting is open at Inkster City Hall, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day through Sunday, Nov. 1.
  • Need a ride? Free rides to the polls are listed at michiganvoting.org/rides.

Every vote in Inkster counts, and this year we are counting on 10,000 of them. Read why in Vote, Inkster. It's now or never. #Vote10000+

Sources: Michigan Department of State, "Vote on Election Day"; Michigan Bureau of Elections, "Overview of Current Voter Intimidation and Firearms Laws" (April 2025); WDIV Local 4, Oct. 29, 2026.