Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters. 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

When something goes wrong between you and your ballot — at the early-voting counter, the polling-place table, or the provisional-ballot desk — there is one number to call before you leave: 866-OUR-VOTE.

866-OUR-VOTE is a free, toll-free, nonpartisan voter hotline, reachable by phone or text at 866-687-8683. It is run by Election Protection, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 300 local, state, and national partners, and administered by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Election Protection describes the hotline as a resource for all voters and would-be voters across the country who seek to report complaints or access information needed to meaningfully participate in elections. The line operates year-round and adds staffing around major elections, which means someone is picking up throughout Michigan's early-voting period and on Election Day.

If something goes wrong during early voting

Michigan's in-person early-voting window for the Nov. 3 general election runs Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1, with sites open at least eight hours each day. Some communities may also offer Monday, Nov. 2 — generally until 4 p.m. — the day before Election Day, on top of the mandatory nine-day window.

A name or address question at the counter does not have to end your attempt. Your photo ID does not need to show a current address, and a shortened first name, such as "Bill" for "William," is acceptable when election officials can reasonably connect it to the registration. Don't argue with the clerk or leave frustrated. Call 866-OUR-VOTE while you are still at the counter; a trained volunteer can sort out an early-voting name, address, or ballot question and get it corrected the same day.

At the polling place on Election Day

Election Day is the same situation in a busier room. Polls across Michigan are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time on Nov. 3, and anyone in line by 8 p.m. must be allowed to vote. If a poll worker says you are not on the list or cannot find your registration, that is not the end. Michigan allows same-day registration and registration updates in person at the city or township clerk's office through 8 p.m. on Election Day, with proof of residency, and anyone in line by 8 p.m. must be allowed to register. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights cautions voters not to immediately assume they cannot vote if an issue comes up at the polls.

If your ID is questioned, you have options at the table. A photo ID is not required to vote in Michigan. Without one, you can sign an Affidavit of Voter Not in Possession of Picture Identification and still have your ballot issued and counted normally. Acceptable IDs include a state driver's license or ID, a U.S. passport, military ID, a government or educational-institution photo ID, or a tribal photo ID — and none needs to show the address or be REAL ID-compliant. If someone is intimidating or harassing voters, Michigan's Attorney General directs you to notify a poll worker and call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. The message is the same as early voting, only busier: stay at the table and make the call there, not after you have walked away.

When a provisional ballot is handed to you

A provisional ballot is what Michigan offers in specific situations: when your name is not on the registration list at that polling place, when you are at the wrong polling location, or when you are a first-time voter who cannot provide valid identification. By law, the city or township clerk must determine within six days after the election whether you were eligible and whether your ballot may be tabulated. It can be rejected if you are not registered or fail to provide required identification and proof of residence. You have six calendar days after the election — until Nov. 9 for this one — to bring the required identification or other documentation to the clerk. The clerk must notify you whether the ballot was counted and, if not, why, and must provide a free-access way to check its status.

Still, the table is the easiest place to get it right. If you are even uncertain about a provisional ballot, call 866-OUR-VOTE before signing or leaving; the volunteer can make sure the right things are said and done in those minutes. The six-day window is a fallback, but a fix made on the spot is simpler than one chased down days later.

What happens when you call

Once you call, a trained, nonpartisan volunteer answers. The line expands its staffing around elections, so someone is picking up during early voting and on Election Day. The volunteer will ask where you are and what is happening, then walk through the registration, deadline, polling-place, voter-ID, or voting-procedure question in front of you. When a question gets hard, it can be escalated to legal or voting-equipment experts while you stay in the room.

The one thing to remember, at the early-voting counter, at the polling-place table, or as a provisional ballot is being handed over, is to call 866-OUR-VOTE on the spot — before leaving.