How to vote in Tuesday's municipal primary election

While the races on the ballot Tuesday are generally smaller local races, that doesn't mean they're any less important. And registering to vote takes only a few minutes.

Here's what you need to know if you want to vote in Michigan.

How do I register to vote in Michigan?

The fastest way to register to vote in Michigan is visiting Michigan.gov/VoterRegistration. Grab your driver's license and answer the various questions about your eligibility and your identity. The process doesn't usually take more than a few minutes.

You can also register in person. To register in person, visit any Secretary of State's Office or your city or county clerk. Several state agencies and military recruitment centers also allow registration, and typically around the November elections, you can also find registration drives. You can register up until and on Election Day at 8 p.m. at your local clerk's office

Registering by mail is also an option, but you should know those registrations won't be in by Tuesday's election. You'll need to make sure you registration is postmarked by at least 15 days before the election. Simply print the application from the Secretary of State's website and mail it to your city or township clerk, which can be looked up at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Am I eligible to vote in Michigan?

Answer these questions:

• Am I a U.S. citizen?
• Am I at least 17.5 years old? Will I only vote after I turn 18?
• Am I a Michigan resident? Will I only vote after I've lived in my current city for at least 30 days?
• Am I not currently servicing a sentence in jail or prison?

If the answer to each is yes, congratulations! You can vote in Michigan. You'll need to show proof of where you live if you're registering within two weeks of the election, which can be done with a current utility bill, a driver's license, a bank statement and more.

Where can I check my Michigan voter registration?

To confirm your registration, visit the Secretary of State's website. There, you can search either by your name, birth month and year, and your ZIP code OR by entering the information on your driver's license. There, you can confirm where you're registered as well as where your polling place is, who your clerk is, your district for a variety of races and more.

What's on my ballot?

The August election is usually much smaller than the November one. This year, depending on where you live, you might be voting on mayor, city council members and other local races.

To check, visit the Secretary of State's website and put in your information. If you need to confirm your precinct, you can do that with the instructions above on confirming your registration.

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Where is my Michigan polling place?

Check your polling place by visiting the Secretary of State's Michigan Voter Information Center. There, you can enter your information (either your name, birthday and ZIP code OR your driver's license information) and confirm your polling place.

Do I need an ID to vote in Michigan?

No. You'll be asked to show one, but you can vote without one.

If you don't have an ID with you (and several different kinds count — more on that in a moment), you can sign a form that confirms you don't have an ID with you and vote anyway. Your vote will still be counted with the others.

But you might be surprised to learn that a variety of licenses or ID work for voting. Driver's licenses and state IDs are likely the most common, but licenses from other states, any state or federal photo ID, passports, military IDs and tribal identification cards with photos all work. You could also bring your student ID from high school or college.

Do I need to re-register to vote if I moved?

If you moved within the same city, you'll need to update your local clerk but you do not need to re-register with the state.

If you moved to an entirely new city, you'll also need to re-register with the state.

To update your registration, visit mvic.sos.state.mi.us/RegisterVoter/Index and fill out the form there.

Can students vote in Michigan?

Yes. If you're a Michiganian who wants to vote here but you're going to school elsewhere, register to vote from your home address. If you're from another state but going to school in Michigan and want to vote here, register at your school address. If you live in Michigan and go to school here, you can pick either address to register.