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Can you vote with a felony in Michigan?

The short answer

After prison.

In Michigan, people lose the right to vote only while in prison for a felony. It comes back on release, including on parole or probation. Some other convictions can affect it too; the details are below.

In Michigan, a person who has been convicted and sentenced to jail or prison cannot vote while confined, whether the conviction is for a felony or a misdemeanor. The right returns on release, including for people on parole or probation. People held in jail before trial or before sentencing can register and vote.1,4

Checked October 22, 2026 against 6 sources, starting with Michigan law, then by a second reader.

  1. In prison for a felonyCan't vote1,2,4
  2. On paroleCan vote4
  3. On probationCan vote4
  4. Sentence completeCan vote1,3,4
Check with Michigan's election office

Before you register

Your state or county election office can confirm your own status, for free. Voting while ineligible can carry criminal penalties, so if anything about your case is unclear, ask them first. The general election is November 3, 2026; registration deadlines are on vote.gov.

How the right comes back

Automatically

The bar lasts only while the person is confined under the sentence (MCL 168.758b). The Secretary of State says people with a felony or misdemeanor conviction can register as long as they are not actively serving a sentence in jail or prison, which means people on parole or probation can register; someone serving jail time as part of a sentence cannot vote while confined. Since June 30, 2025, the Secretary of State and the Department of Corrections must coordinate so that eligible people are automatically registered to vote, with the chance to decline, when they are released from a prison sentence on parole or at discharge (MCL 168.493b(6)). The official sources opened don't say whether an earlier registration is cancelled during confinement, so a person released from jail or prison should check their registration status.1,3,4

Fines, fees and restitution

Not required

The law bars voting only while a person is confined under the sentence (MCL 168.758b); payment of fines, fees or restitution is not a condition.1

Registering again

Not confirmed

We couldn't confirm whether a new registration is needed. The election office can tell you.

Misdemeanors and jail

The rule is not limited to felonies. MCL 168.758b covers anyone convicted and sentenced 'for a crime for which the penalty imposed is confinement in jail or prison' while confined, and the Secretary of State says people with a felony or misdemeanor conviction can register as long as they are not actively serving a sentence in jail or prison.1,4

People held in jail before trial or sentence who are otherwise qualified may register to vote, using the address where they lived before confinement (MCL 168.492a); the Secretary of State says people detained pretrial or pre-sentencing can register.2,4

Convictions from another state or federal court

MCL 168.758b applies to a person convicted and sentenced 'in a court of this or another state or in a federal court' while that person is confined.1

What's changed

June 30, 2025: Public Act 268 of 2023 (House Bill 4983) added MCL 168.493b, effective June 30, 2025. It requires the Secretary of State and the Department of Corrections to make sure eligible people are automatically registered to vote, with the opportunity to decline, on release from incarceration imposed as a sentence, and not before release on parole or discharge. It did not change who is eligible to vote.3

The law

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This page explains Michigan's general rules from its law and election office. It isn't legal advice, and a case can turn on the details of a sentence. The election office can confirm your status.

Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.

Cite this page

Second Chance Index, "Can you vote with a felony in Michigan?" https://secondchanceindex.com/voting-rights/michigan, checked October 22, 2026.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 22, 2026.

  1. MCL 168.758b
  2. MCL 168.492a
  3. MCL 168.493b(6)
  4. Register to voteMichigan Department of State
  5. House Bill 4983 of 2023 (Public Act 268 of 2023)Michigan Legislature
  6. Senate Bill 835 of 2024Michigan Legislature