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Absentee Voting Information
Here you can find answers
to your questions about topics such as eligibility for an absentee ballot,
applying for an absentee ballot, and casting an absentee ballot.
MILITARY AND
OVERSEAS VOTERS
Military and overseas voters may now choose to receive their ballots for Federal offices either electronically or by regular U.S. mail. Please click here for more information.
Alabama citizens who are
members of the Uniformed Services and their family members, merchant marine,
commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and Alabama overseas citizens can find additional
information on absentee voting
here.
Absentee Voting Eligibility
A voter may cast an
absentee ballot if he or she
- WILL BE ABSENT FROM THE COUNTY on election day
- IS ILL OR HAS A PHYSICAL DISABILITY that prevents a trip to the polling
place
- IS A REGISTERED ALABAMA VOTER LIVING OUTSIDE THE COUNTY, such as a
member of the armed forces, a voter employed outside the United States, a
college student, or a spouse or child of such a person
- IS AN APPOINTED ELECTION OFFICER OR POLL WATCHER at a polling place
other than his or her regular polling place
- WORKS A REQUIRED SHIFT, 10-HOURS OR MORE, that coincides with polling
hours
BUSINESS/MEDICAL
EMERGENCY VOTING
applications can be made
after the absentee deadline but no later than 5 PM on the day before the
election, if the voter:
- is required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be out of
the county on election day for an emergency business trip, or
- has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician
In addition to
application information outlined in the next section, the business
emergency application contains an affidavit acknowledging that the
voter was not aware of the out-of-county business trip prior to the normal
absentee ballot deadline. The medical emergency application
requires that the attending physician describe and certify the circumstances as
constituting an emergency.
Absentee ballot application
To obtain an absentee
ballot, write or visit the local Absentee Election Manager (usually the Circuit
Clerk), request an absentee ballot, and provide the following:
- name and residential address (or other such information in order to
verify voter registration)
- election for which the ballot is requested
- reason for absence from polls on election day
- party choice, if the election is a party primary. (It is not necessary
to give a party choice for a general election; however, in a party primary a
voter may participate in only one political party's primary; thus a choice
must be designated so that the appropriate ballot can be provided. If the
voter declines or fails to designate a choice for a primary or primary
runoff ballot, the absentee election manager may send only the ballot for
constitutional amendments.)
- address to which the ballot should be mailed
- voter signature (If a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be
witnessed)
The absentee
ballot application must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager by the
voter in person (or by the voter's designee in the case of medical emergency
voting) or by U.S. Mail. No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the
same envelope as another voter's absentee ballot application.
Upon receiving the absentee ballot application, the Absentee Election Manager
may request additional evidence on the reason for voting absentee if the voter
has a history of absentee voting. The absentee ballot
applications must turned in no later than the fifth calendar day before the
election.
BALLOT
RECEIPT/RETURN
If the absentee ballot
application is approved, the Absentee Election Manager
- forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail, or
- personally hands the absentee ballot to the voter (or to a designee in
the case of emergency voting)
Ballot Procedure
The absentee ballot comes
with three envelopes -- one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit,
or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain envelope, preaddressed (the outer
envelope). Once the voter casts the ballot, the procedure is as follows:
- Seal the ballot in the plain envelope
- Place the plain envelope inside the accompanying affidavit envelope
- Seal the affidavit envelope and complete the affidavit that is on the
outside of the envelope
- Sign the affidavit and have the signature witnessed by either a notary
public or two witnesses 18 years of age or older
- Place the affidavit envelope and a COPY of voter identification inside
the outer envelope
- Remember to place a copy of your I.D. (NOT THE ORIGINAL) inside the
outer envelope
WITNESSES OR
NOTARIZATION
An absentee ballot cannot be
counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has the signatures of two
witnesses.
The voter has only
the following legal ways to return the absentee ballot:
- forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail, or
- personally hands the absentee ballot to the absentee election manager
(or delivers by a designee in the case of emergency absentee voting)
VOTING DEADLINE
An absentee ballot returned
by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election and received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on election day.
If hand-delivered, the ballot must be in the office of the Absentee Election
Manager by the close of business (but no later than 5 p.m.) on the day prior to
the election.
Voter Resources
Military/Overseas Citizens absentee voting information
Look up your
county
County election
officials
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