Eligibility

Registered voters who are unable to go to the polls on Election Day may cast an absentee ballot in advance of the election if he or she:

• Will be absent from the county on Election Day, or
• Is ill or has a physical infirmity that prevents a trip to the polling place, or
• Is registered to vote in this county but temporarily resides outside the county, including but not limited to, members of the armed forces or a U.S. citizen residing overseas (or a spouse or dependent of such a person), or
• Is a student at an educational institution located outside their county of residence, or
• Is an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling location other than his or her regular polling location, or
• Works a required shift that has at least 10 hours that coincide with polling hours, or
• Is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a spouse of, or a dependent of, a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a citizen living abroad or any other applicant qualified to vote pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.S. 1973ff (UOCAVA) - more information on Military & Overseas voting/UOCAVA is available here.
• Is a caregiver for a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity and the family member is confined to his or her home.
• Is currently incarcerated in prison or jail and have not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude. (See list for felonies involving moral turpitude.)

Please be advised that on September 30, 2020, the Federal Court in Birmingham has enjoined:

1. The witness requirement for absentee ballots for voters who provide a statement that they have an underlying medical condition that puts them at a heightened risk from COVID-19 and thus they cannot safely obtain the signatures of 2 witnesses or a notary public
2. The photo ID requirement for absentee voters over 65 or those under 65 who cannot safely obtain a copy of their photo ID during the COVID-19 pandemic due to an underlying medical condition, and, as required by the application, who provide other identifiers such as their driver's license and the last 4 digits of their social security number; and,
3. The de facto ban on curbside voting is enjoined.

There are a few important considerations to remember;

1. These restrictions only apply to the November 3 election
2. The order applies statewide, and not just to the counties specifically sued, and 3) There is no requirement that any county undertake curbside voting

Application for Absentee Ballot

Applications for absentee voting are available in the office of the Absentee Election Manager, Jackson County Courthouse, or at the Secretary of State's webpage (www.alabamavotes.gov). Those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces (including spouses and dependents) should contact their commanding officer for an application. Those with a permanent disability can have their physician sign an application for permanent disability absentee ballot.

Absentee Election Manager Office Location

Application Deadline

Completed applications for an absentee ballot must be received in the office of the Absentee Election Manager no later than 4:30 pm five days prior to the election. For typical election days that fall on Tuesday, this would be the Thursday prior to the election.

The application must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager office by the voter in person (or by the voter's designee in the case of medical emergency voting) or by U.S. Mail, or commercial carriers such as FedEx or UPS. No one, not even a family member, may return another person's application. Multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope.

The completed application must provide:

• Voter name and residential address (for verification of voter registration)
• Address to which the absentee ballot should be mailed
• Voter date of birth
• Voter driver's license number or last 4 digits of social security number
• Election for which the absentee ballot is requested
• Party choice, if the election is a party primary*
• Reason for absence from polls on Election Day
• Voter signature (if a mark is made instead of a signature, it must be witnessed)

*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 party choice for a primary or primary runoff ballot, the Absentee Election Manager may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments (if any).

Business / Medical Emergency Voting

Applications can be made after the absentee deadline but no later than 4:30 PM on the day before the election, if the voter:

• Is required by an employer due to unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on an emergency business trip on Election Day; or
• Has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5 days of an election

Persons applying for an emergency absentee ballot must appear in person in the office of the Absentee Election Manager. In addition to the application information outlined above,

• A business emergency absentee ballot 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.
• A medical emergency application requires that the attending physician describe and certify the circumstances as constituting a medical emergency.

The Emergency Absentee Ballot Application can be found here.

Voting Deadline

The absentee ballot application must be returned by the voter in person or by U.S. Mail or commercial carriers such as FedEx or UPS.

Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election. The absentee ballot must be received in the office of the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on Election Day if the ballot is mailed. (Exception: UOCAVA ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received in the office of the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon, seven days after the election).

If hand-delivered, the ballot must be delivered to the Absentee Election Manager no later than close of business (4:30 pm) on the last business day prior to the election.

Please note that the last business day could be the Friday before the election, if Election Day is on a Tuesday following a Monday holiday.