Are You Ready to Vote, Alabama?

By Clay Martin | September 24, 2020

November 3rd is less than 6 weeks away, which means it’s time to get registered and vote! This is an especially important year for Alabama, because we have a lot of candidates running for multiple offices, plus local ballot measures:

President of the United States            State Supreme Court (2)
U.S. Senate (1) Intermediate appellate courts (4)
U.S. House (7) Local judges (in Jefferson County)
Public Service Commissioner School boards (Jefferson and Mobile Counties)
State Board of Education (4) Municipal government (Jefferson County)

(Alabama Ballotpedia)

If you don’t know who’s running in your district, you can find your elected officials here.

Can I vote in Alabama?

Per the State of Alabama, you can vote in elections in Alabama provided you:

  • Are a United States Citizen
  • Are a resident of Alabama (or have maintained Alabama as your legal residence)
  • Are at least 18 years old on or before election day
  • Haven’t been convicted of a disqualifying felony (more on that below)
  • Haven’t been legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court
  • Are registered to vote

Where do I register?

Are You Ready to Vote, Alabama?Alabama offers different ways to register:

You may download the State of Alabama Mail-In Voter Registration Form from this page. Then, just print it, fill it out, and mail it in to your local board of registrars! Any individual registering to vote must send the completed application with his/her original signature to the county’s Board of Registrars in which he/she resides.

If you are a victim of domestic violence or a guardian, you need to submit an affirmation form to protect your personal information.

If you choose to submit your application by mail, send it here:

Office of the Secretary of State
Elections Division
PO Box 5616
Montgomery, AL 36103

Where do I vote?

Check here to find your polling place.

What if I need help with absentee voting?

In October, Madison County will be offering drive-up assistance for help with absentee voting: filling out the application, serving as a notary or witness, and submitting absentee ballots. According to WHNT News 19, you can get help with absentee ballots:

  • Thursday, Oct. 1:Elmore Gymnasium at Alabama A&M University. Follow the signs from the west side of Meridian Street on campus.
  • Friday, Oct. 2:Sandra Moon Community Complex, 7901 Bailey Cove Road, Huntsville
  • Monday, Oct. 5:Monrovia Community Center, 254 Allen Drake Drive (west of Jeff Road), Huntsville
  • Tuesday, Oct. 6:Owens Cross Roads Church of Christ, 124 Eastwood Drive (corner of Eastwood facing Highway 432 South)
  • Wednesday, Oct. 7,Trash Panda Stadium on Toyota Field at Town Madison. Follow the signs from the west side of Zeirdt Road just south of the Madison Boulevard/I-1565 overpass
  • Thursday, Oct. 8:Plainview Church of Christ, 14500 Highway 231/431 north, Hazel Green
  • Each weekday Oct. 19-Oct. 29: Madison County Courthouse, East Side Square (Washington Street, one way heading north), downtown Huntsville.

For more information, please call 256-532-3684 or visit madisoncountyvotes.com.

What kinds of ID can I bring when I vote?

Alabama requires a photo ID in order to vote. The State currently accepts:

  • Valid Driver’s License (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Driver’s License
  • Valid Non-driver ID (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Non-driver ID
  • Valid Alabama Photo Voter ID
  • Valid State Issued ID (Alabama or any other state)
    • Valid AL Department of Corrections Release- Temporary ID (Photo Required)
    • Valid AL Movement/Booking Sheet from Prison/Jail System (Photo Required)
    • Valid Pistol Permit (Photo Required)
  • Valid Federal Issued ID
  • Valid US Passport
  • Valid Employee ID from Federal Government, State of Alabama, County Government, Municipality, Board, Authority, or other entity of this state
  • Valid student or employee ID from a college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools)
  • Valid Military ID
  • Valid Tribal ID

If you do not have a valid photo ID, click here to apply for a free Alabama voter ID card.

Who can request an absentee ballot?

Per Alabama law, any citizen of Alabama who lives overseas or serves in the “Uniformed Services and their family members, merchant marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” may request an absentee ballot. A voter may also request an absentee ballot if her or she, per the Absentee Voting Information webpage:

  • EXPECTS TO 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
  • EXPECTS TO WORK A REQUIRED SHIFT, 10-HOURS OR MORE, that coincides with polling hours
  • 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 has not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude

The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is the 5th calendar day prior to the election.

EMERGENCY ABSENTEE 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 unavailable at the polls on the day of the election
  • is a caregiver of a person who requires emergency treatment by licensed physician within five days before an election
  • has a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity die within five days before an election

MEDICAL EMERGENCY ABSENTEE VOTING applications can be made by a voter who has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5 days of an election. During that 5 day period, the medical emergency absentee ballot application and the voted absentee ballot must be returned no later than noon on the day the election is held. The medical emergency absentee ballot application requires that the attending physician describe and certify the circumstances as constituting an emergency. The voter may designate someone to turn in the medical emergency absentee ballot application, receive the absentee ballot on behalf of the voter, and return the voted absentee ballot to the Absentee Election Manager on behalf of the voter.

What is a disqualifying felony?

You can find a full list of “disqualifying felonies” here.

How do I restore my voting rights?

The Alabama Chapter of the ACLU says that in order to restore your voting rights, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Have no pending felony charges
  • Have paid all fines, court costs, fees, and restitution ordered at the time of sentencing on disqualifying cases in full (post-conviction fees are not included)
  • Have completed either the full sentence, probation/parole, OR been pardoned

It will take about 45 days to restore your voting rights provided everything goes well. You should complete the application process ASAP to ensure you can vote in the upcoming election.

To apply for restoration, contact your local state Probation and Parole office in the county where you live or contact the Board of Pardons and Paroles:

The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles
PO Box 302405
Montgomery, AL 36130
Phone: (334) 353-7771 or (334) 353-8067
Fax: (334) 353-9400
Email: pardons@paroles.alabama.gov

C’mon Alabama ­– let’s get out and vote!

Posted in Vote