All the questions you asked us about voting and Election Day, answered.
Election Day is almost here. And like practically everything in 2020, it's unusual.
State Journal readers have asked lots of important question about absentee voting, counting results, coronavirus rules and more.
We dug up the answers.
How do I track if my absentee ballot has been tabulated?
You can't. Election workers remove identifying information from your absentee ballot before sending it through the tabulator. That's one reason they can't see who you voted for.
But you can check to see if your clerk has received your absentee ballot. Some jurisdictions, including Lansing, have automatic ballot tracking systems that update voters when their absentee ballots are mailed and received.
The Secretary of State also has an online portal voters can use to check on the status of their absentee ballot.
To get there, visit the online voter information page, mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index, and type in your information. You'll see all kinds of things about upcoming elections, your clerk, your polling place and — on the right side of the page — your absentee ballot.
More: I returned my absentee ballot. How can I make sure it actually reached my clerk?
When will election results be ready?
Later than usual. Don't plan on calling winners and losers right after polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
A lot more people are casting absentee ballots this year. That means clerks have to go through all the steps to receive, process and count them. It takes longer to count absentee ballots than ballots submitted by voters at polling places.
It could take until Friday to get complete, unofficial results of statewide races, the Secretary of State's office has said. Local results likely will be available sooner.
More:With this surge in absentee voting, when will we get results of statewide races?
I made a mistake on my absentee ballot. Can I get a new one?
Yes, through a process called "spoiling." You can do it if you make a mistake, change your mind or decide you want to vote in person instead.
First, don't throw your ballot away. It's easier to spoil if you still have it.
You can take your unwanted ballot to your polling place and surrender it there. Then you can vote in person. If you don't have it, you can sign an affidavit telling the clerk you want to your in-person ballot to be counted instead of your absentee ballot.
You also can spoil your ballots at your local clerk's office through 10 a.m. Monday.
More:Election Q&A: I asked for an absentee ballot but changed my mind. What now?
Is my vote secret?
Yes. People cannot find out who you voted for. Election workers shouldn't look, either.
But people can find out other things related to your voter registration, including your: name, birth year, address, polling place, voting history (aka which elections you have voted in).
Your voter registration information is kept on the state's Qualified Voter File. That file is open to the state's open records laws, which means people can request information contained in it.
But the more private information kept on file cannot be disclosed. Information that cannot be released includes your: birth month, birthday, driver's license number, Social Security number, phone number and email address.
More:Election Q&A: Can people find out who I voted for? If not, then how does polling work?
Do I have to wear a mask when I vote?
No (although you should). Voters don't have to wear masks. Election workers do.
You should not be asked to remove your mask, even for identification purposes, and you do not have to remove it if you are asked. Talk to your local clerk or precinct chair if someone asks.
Polling places and local clerks' offices also are exempt from coronavirus gathering restrictions, which were strengthened Thursday because case numbers are rising.
More:Do I have to wear a mask at the polls? Do restrictions on gatherings affect voting?
My signature is inconsistent. Will that affect my absentee ballot?
It might.
But since a bipartisan election bill signed Oct. 6, clerks are required to tell you if they reject your absentee ballot because of a signature. (Psst. That's one reason to return your ballot ASAP. It gives you more time to correct your signature if it doesn't pass muster.)
Most of the time, clerks are comparing the signature on your absentee ballot with the signature on your driver's license or Michigan ID.
Don't sign anyone else's ballot. Don't forge signatures.
What should I do if I lost my absentee ballot secrecy sleeve?
You can turn in an absentee ballot without a secrecy sleeve. Election workers will place it in a new one.
But don't toss the secrecy sleeve on purpose. It's designed to keep election workers from seeing who you voted for.
More:Election Q&A: I lost my secrecy sleeve. Can I still return my absentee ballot?