How long do we keep election ballots in Michigan? Depends what was on them.
22 months for ballots with federal offices, 30 days for state and local offices, both counted from the Board of Canvassers final determination. The rules quoted from Michigan DTMB General Schedule #23 (Elections Records).
The short answer: 22 months federal, 30 days state and local
Ballot retention is the clearest example in Michigan of one question having two answers, and the difference is what offices appeared on the ballot:
DTMB General Schedule #23 (Elections Records), item 23.306; approved 10/24/2023, revised 3/26/2024.
DTMB General Schedule #23 (Elections Records), item 23.307; approved 10/24/2023, revised 3/26/2024.
Note the anchor: both clocks run from the final determination of the Board of Canvassers, not from election day. And a ballot that includes even one federal office is a federal ballot for retention purposes, which is why November even-year ballots effectively always carry the 22-month clock.
DTMB General Schedule #23 (Elections Records), item 23.300; approved 10/24/2023, revised 3/26/2024.
The rest of the election paper trail
GS #23 is one of the most granular schedules the state publishes, with 89 active series. A few clocks every clerk ends up needing:
- Poll books (voter participation records): election plus 2 years (23.223).
- Statements of vote: election plus 2 years (23.233 / 23.326).
- Absentee ballot applications, single cycle: election plus 6 years (23.302).
- Ballot drop box security video: 30 days from recording (23.336).
- Nominating petitions: destroy January 1 following the election, or return to the candidate on request (23.318).
Election records also attract recounts, challenges, and litigation more than any other record type, and every one of those is a hold that suspends these clocks until the matter concludes. When in doubt between the schedule and an active dispute, the dispute wins.
Dekree carries all 89 election series from GS #23, quoted as printed and searchable in seconds, with each rule applied to the records you store. When the state revises the schedule (it did in 2024), the rules update from the source.
Verify it yourself
Every quote links to the exact page of the official GS #23 PDF on michigan.gov, and all 89 series are in the searchable GS #23 page of our free retention database. Election law moves; confirm current practice with your county clerk and municipal attorney.
Common questions
How long do Michigan clerks keep election ballots?
It depends on what was on the ballot. Under General Schedule #23 (Elections Records), ballots for federal offices are retained until the final determination of the Board of Canvassers plus 22 months (item 23.306). Ballots for state and local offices only are retained until the final determination plus 30 days (item 23.307). Absentee ballot records carry a longer clock: final determination plus 2 years (item 23.300).
Why do federal ballots get 22 months?
The 22-month period aligns Michigan practice with federal election-records law, which requires records relating to federal elections to be preserved for 22 months. The schedule builds that requirement in, so any ballot that includes a federal office inherits the longer clock.
What about poll books and other election paperwork?
Each series has its own rule in GS #23. Voter participation records, also called poll books, are kept until the election is held plus 2 years (item 23.223). Statements of vote are kept 2 years (item 23.233 for county-administered and 23.326 for local). Absentee ballot applications run 6 years (item 23.302). Ballot drop box security video is only 30 days from recording (item 23.336). All 89 election series are searchable in our free retention database.
This article is educational information for Michigan public bodies, current as of the publication date. It is not legal advice, and statutes and court decisions change. Confirm specifics with your municipal attorney. Statute text: legislature.mi.gov.