Farmington Hills will begin processing absentee ballots on Thursday, Oct. 29, five days before the Nov. 3 general election. About 68 inspectors will work at the Costick Activities Center in Wexford Hall, 28600 Eleven Mile Road.
City Clerk Carly Lindahl posted a public notice announcing the early tabulation session. The Absent Voter Counting Board will convene from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to process ballots already received for the State General Election.
The inspector count is up from the approximately 52 the city assigned for the Aug. 4 primary election, according to a separate city notice posted for that earlier count. That primary session was scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 30 minutes shorter than the window planned for the general election.
Results stay sealed. Under Michigan election law, results from absentee ballot processing cannot be generated, printed or reported before 8 p.m. on Election Day. The law allows cities with at least 5,000 residents to process and tabulate absentee ballots during any of the eight days before an election, starting on the second Monday before Election Day. Inspectors, challengers and anyone else present after processing begins must take and sign an oath.
The Oct. 29 tabulation session will share the Costick Center with early in-person voting. According to the city's election information page, early voting runs Saturday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 1 at the same building, with hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Oct. 29, early voting hours shift to noon–8 p.m.
Absentee ballots must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Polls on Election Day open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
