Absentee voting deadlines
BY BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen reminds voters that county absentee election managers must receive mail-in absentee ballot applications by Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.
The deadline to return an absentee ballot application in person is Thursday, Oct. 31.
Absentee ballots being returned in-person must be received by the county absentee election manager by close of business on the day before the election on Nov. 4.
Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received no later than noon on Election Day on Nov. 5.
“Absentee voting is a vital component of the election process. That is why I advocated for legislation like SB1, which provides Alabama voters with strong protection against activists who profit from the absentee elections process,” said Secretary Allen.
The United States Postal Service has recently announced a change in mail delivery times: https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/post-office-makes-major-announcement-about-mail-delivery-change.html.
It is recommended to mail in your absentee ballot application and absentee ballots at least two weeks before the deadline for county Absentee Election Managers to receive them.
Voters are required to present a valid form of photo identification before voting at their polling place or by absentee ballot.
To obtain an absentee ballot, write or visit the local Absentee Election Manager (Butler County Circuit Clerk, 700 Court Square, Greenville, AL 36037), request an absentee ballot, and provide the following:
Name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration); A copy of your valid photo identification; 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. (Signature must be original, electronic signatures will not be accepted. 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), by U.S. Mail, or by commercial carrier.
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.
Absentee ballot applications returned by mail must be received no later than seven days before the election. Absentee ballot applications returned by hand must be received no later than five days before the election.
For more information on absentee voting in Alabama or to request an absentee ballot application visit www.AlabamaVotes.gov.
