The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Monday, Nov. 10, that it will hear a case that could decide whether states can count postmarked mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. While in Michigan, ballots must be received by Election Day, 20 different states and territories allow ballots to be counted if they arrive after Election Day.
According to Michigan Tech’s Facts and Figures page, there were 5,025 Michigan residents and 1,638 out-of-state students attending in the 2024-2025 school year. Students should stay aware of their specific state’s rules and regulations regarding mail-in voting, and should continue to keep up with their local news and adapt to any changes.
Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County Clerk and Register of Deeds, gave some insight into the process of mail-in voting in Michigan. “If students at MTU would like to vote in Michigan or in Houghton County, they of course have to be registered to vote and have to do that at the Secretary of State Office, online, or at the City of Houghton Clerk’s Office or [Kelly’s] office.” Kelly also added that “voters can now go on a permanent absentee list if they wish. They fill out an application one time. The absentee ballots will then be mailed to the voter, and then they vote and return it to the clerk that sent it to them.”
According to the Dean of Students’ website, Michigan Tech is a 2025-2026 Voter Friendly Campus. Many Michigan Tech students vote in their first election upon coming to college. According to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), student voting increased among Tech students from 28.6 percent in 2012 to 56.8 percent in 2020. Similarly, our voting rate has increased from 9.7 percent during the 2014 midterm elections to 30.0 percent in 2022.
For more information on voting, both in person and mail-in, contact the Houghton County Clerk, or visit the Dean of Students website and look under the voting page. For more information on supporting democratic engagement at Michigan Tech, contact Danielle Meirow at dlmeirow@mtu.edu.
