Your Voice Matters: A Comprehensive Guide to Voting Rights and Resources for LGBTQ+ Individuals

Already voted? Share this guide with friends!

Liam Clymer

Published: October 22, 2024 | Last Updated: October 29, 2024

As we head into the final days of election season and excitement builds, it’s easy to lose focus on all that’s at stake for LGBTQ+ voters. No matter your personal beliefs, exercising your right and making queer voices heard is key — especially in a swing state like Michigan. Pride Source has all the details you need to make a plan for yourself and encourage others to get out to vote.

What's on my ballot?

The first step in any voting plan is getting to know what’s on your ballot. This can feel intimidating even for the most informed voter, thanks to long, wordy ballot proposals filled with political jargon and campaign ads meant to misdirect. Build confidence in what you’re bubbling in with these resources.

Vote411.org outlines who you’ll be seeing on your ballot in a simple format. The site includes features that allow you to compare the stances of politicians side-by-side.
Use the Michigan Voter Information Center website (mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index) to check your registration, find polling places and find answers to common election questions. If you’re feeling lost, this is a great resource that can help you get a start.
Do some internet sleuthing — checking out a candidate’s page or social media can often be a good indicator of their approach. Even if policy positions aren’t blatantly stated, look at word choice. For instance, if someone is talking about “law and order,” I’d bet good money on where their viewpoint lies.
For further information, endorsements can be helpful. If someone is in good favor with LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Equality Michigan Action Network (find a list of candidate endorsements at equalitymiaction.org/2024-endorsements) or is said to prioritize education by the Michigan Education Association (MEA), it can provide credibility to important issues — look into the organizations you trust and their suggestions.
- Don’t be fooled by non-partisan positions! As we all know far too well following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the opinions of judges placed in positions of power can have tangible, day-to-day impacts. Look at endorsements and language.

When and where do I vote?

Now that you know who you’re voting for, it’s useful to figure out when and where you’ll be voting. With other obligations, it’s easy to get flustered and let your opportunity to vote slip by, so don’t let that happen — set aside a specific time and add it to your schedule.

Vote early! For the Nov. 5 general election, communities are required to provide early voting opportunities from Oct. 26 through Nov. 3 statewide. However, committees are allowed to provide voting for additional days and extended hours if they so choose. The best way to find exact information on what early voting in your area looks like is to visit mvic.sos.state.mi.us and select “Your Voter Information”.
All registered voters in Michigan have the choice to send in an application for an absentee ballot through 5 p.m. on Nov. 1. Ideally, absentee voters should send in an application 15 days before elections to ensure that their request will be processed in time, so if you pick this option at this late stage, be diligent about returning your ballot quickly.
- Absentee ballots can be returned to dropboxes or mailed but must be received by their local clerk's office at 8 p.m. on election day to be counted. Some states will still count ballots as long as they’re postmarked by election day — Michigan is not one of them. To ensure your vote is counted, USPS suggests mailing it at least one week before election day.
If you’re going in-person, you can vote in your designated polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you have the right to vote. For more information on your specific polling place go to mvic.sos.state.mi.us.

I just feel so strongly that our vote is our voice, it's our power, it's our chance to be seen and heard. I don't think you're ever going to get everything that you want and you're certainly going to be disappointed by the government, but the choice is so stark this year with regards to the future of LGBTQ+ rights and whether we move forward.
Jay Kaplan

Know your voting rights

Obstruction of voting rights doesn’t just come in the form of a violent insurrection. Even on local levels, harassment and intimidation can be used to obstruct your right to vote. Know your rights, so whenever and however you choose to vote, you can do so with confidence.

You have the right to…

Vote (in-person, early or absentee)
- Even if you’re a student, don’t have stable housing, are in a psychiatric hospital, were recently in jail or are in jail now (so long as you’re not currently serving a sentence)
Receive assistance when voting
- In many scenarios you can have a registered friend or family member assist in the voting process
- You can apply for an accessible absentee ballot, allowing you to vote utilizing electronic devices and assistive technology.
- In select areas you can get a ballot in Spanish, Bengali or Arabic.
- At any polling location you have the right to get assistance from poll workers
  - Getting to the voting booth.
  - Reading or marking your ballot.
  - Using the voting equipment.
Vote without being harassed or intimidated
For detailed information on voting rights go to michiganvoting.org/know-your-voting-rights or call the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance at any time.

Jay Kaplan, the ACLU of Michigan's LGBTQ+ project staff attorney, said that with all that’s on the line this election, the LGBTQ+ community must use its right to make its voice heard.

“I just feel so strongly that our vote is our voice, it's our power, it's our chance to be seen and heard,” Kaplan told Pride Source. “I understand that even members of our own community sometimes feel like, ‘well, what does the government do for me?’ or ‘why should I even bother participating?’ — I don't think you're ever going to get everything that you want and you're certainly going to be disappointed by the government, but the choice is so stark this year with regards to the future of LGBTQ+ rights and whether we move forward.”

Kaplan noted that many recent politicians have attempted to make voting more difficult, while local organizations such as the Michigan Republican Party are already holding training for election challenges. He said it was all the more reason to not pass up this opportunity.

“For people to sit out on that [voting], to me, it just seems incredibly irresponsible,” he said.

Don’t let these extremist groups keep you from voting. If challenged, ask to be sworn in by a poll worker, answer the questions necessary to establish your eligibility to vote and then vote. If harassment or intimidation is being used to roadblock you from voting, let a poll worker know immediately. If the poll worker is the individual causing the issue, call your city or township clerk. And if all else fails, call the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

Make a plan — and make it a social event

Michigan State University Student Alex Guo, 19, said that fellow young and LGBTQ+ voters should be excited for this election because it’s a chance to have a fresh start. “We have a chance to have a new leadership and to start new again,” they said. “It's sort of repeating what I think the feeling was in 2022 and 2020, which was there are a whole range of issues again that really matter to us as young people that really incentivize us to vote this year.”

Guo said the energy is palpable on MSU’s campus. For the debates, both the MSU Democrats and Republicans held on-campus watch parties. Guo noted that the MSU dems had a huge turnout with a packed room. A good way to build enthusiasm for the upcoming election is to plan events with friends and family.

Party To The Polls (whenweallvote.org) will host celebrations at various Michigan polling places to encourage voters to come out and make their voices heard. The events will feature live musicians, such as Cordae, and free food, dancing and art to commemorate the occasion — an occasion that could have a significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Don’t miss parties in Detroit (Oct. 26), Ann Arbor (Oct. 30) and East Lansing (Nov. 5).

“[I’d like to] really emphasize to people how important this election is for LGBTQ+ individuals,” Guo said. “There are so many factors at stake right now, especially with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. One of the things I've been trying to highlight so much recently is, because I know not a lot of people have heard about this, the Trevor Project recently conducted a historic first-of-its-kind study where they saw that there was a 72% spike in attempted suicide among LGBTQ+ youth in states that passed anti-LGBTQ+ or anti-trans legislation, compared to just an average of 7% in states that didn't have legislation in place, which is significant.”

“I think it just shows where we're at right now if this election goes a certain way," they added. "If we vote [for] individuals who are anti-LGBTQ+, who will promote and support bills of that nature, it is detrimental for the future of LGBTQ+ Americans.”