Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown said absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election will be processed normally. The announcement came after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a federal rule that would have changed how mail ballots are handled.

Brown spoke on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The court voted 7-2 on Monday, Sept. 14, to leave in place a preliminary injunction halting a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule on mail-ballot handling.

The rule, issued after a March 2026 presidential executive order, would have required states to share voter information with the Postal Service. It also would have let the agency reject ballots that did not meet new envelope design standards.

"It's business as usual, I would say, at this point," Brown told The Oakland Press.

Michigan and 24 other states challenged the rule. A federal district court in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction on Sept. 4 blocking it for the November election. The federal government appealed, but the Supreme Court denied the request on Sept. 14.

Printers are now delivering ballots to local clerks ahead of two state deadlines: Sept. 19 for military and overseas voters and Sept. 24 for all other voters. Under Michigan law, absentee ballots must be available 40 days before an election.

Many polling locations have moved

Brown warned that many voters across Oakland County will find their Election Day polling place has changed. Local clerks have reduced the number of precincts, she said, meaning some residents now vote at a different location.

Farmington Hills used 23 precincts for the Aug. 4 primary, according to city records. Whether that number changes for November has not been confirmed. Voters can check their assigned location at mi.gov/vote or by calling the Farmington Hills City Clerk's Office at (248) 871-2410.

Express lane debuts at early voting sites

For the first time this year, early voting sites across Oakland County will offer an express lane for voters who arrive with a completed absentee ballot. Brown said the change came directly from voter feedback after long lines formed during the 2024 election, which saw 73% turnout countywide.

Early voting for the November election runs from Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Farmington and Farmington Hills voters can cast early ballots at the Costick Community Center, 28600 W. Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills. All Oakland County voters may also use the Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Road, Waterford Township.

Voters who receive an absentee ballot by mail can also return it through an official drop box or bring it to an early voting site and feed it into the tabulator themselves. Brown urged voters who plan to mail ballots back to do so quickly, citing other postal service issues that could delay delivery.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.