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Alabama

Upcoming Election Dates & Registration Deadlines

Some elections in this list are local and do not apply for all Alabama voters. Please click the “View all” button below to view all election dates in your state.

Next Election: Special
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
House District 27 Special Primary Election

Registration Deadlines

Tuesday, March 19, 2024
By Mail
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
In Person
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

16

Apr
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Runoff
2024 Primary Runoff Election

30

Apr
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Runoff
House District 27 Special Primary Runoff Election (if needed)

16

Jul
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Runoff
House District 27 Special General Election

27

Aug
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Municipal
City of Huntsville Municipal Election

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Alabama Voting Information

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting is available if you meet any of the criteria below. If you qualify, you need to request your mail-in ballot either:

  • Five days before the election if you're applying in person, or
  • Seven days before if you're mailing your request.

Make sure your voted ballot is received by:

  • Noon on Election Day if you're mailing it, or
  • By the end of the day before Election Day if you're dropping it off in person.

You can track your absentee ballot here.

Absentee Voting Eligibility 

You may cast an absentee ballot if you: 

  • Will be absent from the county on Election Day 

  • Are ill or have a physical disability that prevents a trip to the polling place 

  • Are a registered Alabama voter living outside the county 

  • Are an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling place other than your regular polling place 

  • You are working a required shift of ten hours or more that coincides with polling hours 

  • Are a caregiver for a family member (to the second degree of kinship) and the family member is confined to their home

  • Currently incarcerated in prison or jail, but have not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude. 

Business and medical emergency voting applications can be made after the absentee deadline, but no later than 5:00 pm on the day before the election for business emergencies and up to noon on the day of the election for medical emergencies, if you: 

  • Are required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on Election Day for an emergency business trip 

  • Are a caregiver of a person who requires emergency treatment by a licensed physician within 5 days before an election 

  • Has a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity die within 5 days before an election 

  • Have a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician 

Upon receiving the absentee ballot application, the absentee election manager may request additional evidence on the reason for voting absentee if you have a history of absentee voting. 

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 Receipt/Return 

You can return the absentee ballot: 

  • By US mail 

  • By personally handing the absentee ballot to the absentee election manager (or designee in case of medical emergency absentee voting) 

  • By commercial carrier 

 

Your absentee ballot needs to be mailed and postmarked by the day before the election. It must arrive and be received no later than noon on Election Day. If you're delivering it by hand, it must be given to the Absentee Election Manager's office by the end of the business day (no later than 5 pm) on the day before the election.

ID Requirements

If you vote an absentee ballot you must submit a copy of a valid photo ID. If you are entitled to vote absentee through the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, or any other federal law, you are not required to show the photo ID when voting absentee. 

Voting in Person 

Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person may only do so by a provisional ballot. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county clerk contact info here.

Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Request your Ballot
Campaign Finance Information

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.

Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

 

Drop Boxes

No drop boxes are available. You may hand-deliver your ballot to the Absentee Election Manager’s office in your county. You can look up the address of your county Absentee Election Manager office here.

Early Voting

Early voting is not available.

Election Dates

Your next election date can be found here https://www.vote411.org/alabama

You can find more information about upcoming elections in Alabama HERE.

 

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

  • A United States Citizen
  • A resident in Alabama
  • At least 18 years old
  • Not convicted of a disqualifying felony (or have had your rights restored)*
  • Not legally declared mentally incompetent by a court

Note: If you turn 18 years old after the registration deadline (14 days before an election), you can still vote in the upcoming election! Just be sure you submit your registration application before the 14 day deadline to ensure you're registered as you turn 18.

*The list of disqualifying felonies can be found here.

 

ID Needed for Voter Registration

To register to vote by mail, you must provide your states Driver's License number, non-Driver's ID number or Social Security Number. To register online you will need a valid  Driver's License or non-Driver's ID from your state to submit that application.

ID Needed for Voting

Photo ID is required before voting.

Acceptable photo ID include:

  • Alabama Driver's License
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Driver's License
  • Alabama Non-Driver ID
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Non-Driver ID
  • Alabama Photo Voter ID
  • State Issued ID (Alabama or any other state)
  • Federal Issued ID
  • US Passport
  • Employee ID from Federal Government, State of Alabama, County Government, Municipality, Board, Authority, or other entity of this state
  • Student or employee ID from a college of university in the state of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools)
  • Military ID
  • Tribal ID
  • 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)

If you do not have a valid photo ID you may vote only if you are identified by two election officials in the polling place as a voter on the poll list who is eligible to vote and the election officials execute an affidavit stating this. 

If you do not have a valid photo ID and the election officials are not able to identify you, you must cast a provisional ballot.

Free photo ID available!

If you do not have a photo ID, you can get a free Alabama photo voter ID from the Secretary of State or from your county Board of Registrars. Mobile unit locations that provide these photo IDs are available and you can check out the addresses here. You are able to get a new photo ID card each time you move within the state.  

If you are elderly or have a disability such that your polling place is not accessible, you are not required to produce identification when voting by absentee ballot.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official Results

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted by noon, 7 days after the election.

Unofficial election results will be announced on Election Night and will be displayed and updated as precincts begin to report here

Official Results
Overseas and Military Voters

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker, you must:

  • Be registered to vote in Alabama
  • Be registered to vote in the precinct you want to work in
  • Attend a mandatory poll working training
  • Not be a member of a candidate's immediate family or the second degree of kinship
  • Not be a member of a candidate's political committee

To sign up, contact your local board of elections.

Beginning in 2019, students may be eligible to work as unpaid poll worker interns on Election Day. You must be at least 16 years old at the time of the election, and be a junior or higher in High School. Click here for more information!

Polling Place Hours

Polling places are open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Polling Place Locator

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.

 

Primary Election Process

Alabama is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision.

In a primary election if a candidate does not with the majority of the votes (50%+1) there will be a primary runoff election scheduled for a few weeks after the primary election date. The runoff election will have the top two candidates with the most votes to ensure that one of them receives the majority of the voters.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

A provisional ballot is voted the same as any other ballot except you must sign an affidavit attesting to your eligibility to vote and complete a voter update form. Reasons you may vote a provisional ballot include:

  • Your name does not appear on the official list of voters for the precinct or polling place and your registration cannot be verified by the registrar or the judge of probate
  • An inspector knows you are not allowed to vote at that precinct
  • You are unable to show acceptable photo ID
  • The polling place closing time is extended by federal or state court order
  • You had requested, but not voted, an absentee ballot

If your name is not on the poll list, the provisional ballot will be counted only if the county board of registrars is able to confirm, after the election, that you are a duly qualified elector of the county.

When you cast a provisional ballot because you did not have proper identification at the polling place, you have until the Friday following the election to submit the ID to the board of registrars. If proper ID is submitted by this deadline, the ballot will be counted. You may also cast a provisional ballot if you did not receive a requested absentee ballot or did not vote the absentee ballot.

Provisional ballots are counted by noon, 7 days after the election. To find out if your provisional ballot was counted, use your state's provisional ballot tool.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

All voters have the right to cast a ballot. If you need assistance you have options.

Accessible Absentee Voting Options:

Absentee voting starts 55 days before the election. Each county has at least one handicap accessible voting machine to assist voters with disabilities with absentee voting. Or, if you meet the criteria to receive an absentee ballot by mail you may vote from home. If you are permanently disabled you may vote absentee on an on-going basis. You must apply to receive an absentee ballot for all county, state and federal elections, and have the application signed and notarized by your primary physician. There is a separate application for municipal elections. The application is good for all elections during the calendar year, or if the cycle spans multiple years the application is good for the entire election cycle. You must apply for an absentee ballot annually if you wish to receive a ballot. 

Accessible In-Person Voting Options:

Handicap-accessible voting machines are at every polling site in Alabama and are available whenever polls are open. If you are disabled or over the age of 70 you may move to the front of the line at the polling place, just ask a poll worker to move you.

You may request assistance at the polling place from anyone except your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union. If you need help you may ask a poll worker to assist you.

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People with Disabilities resource.

Registration Deadline

The registration deadline is 14 days before the elections. You can now register online. You will need to enter your driver license number or a state non-license number when filling out this form.

Not registered? Use our registration tool to fill out your application!

Time Off To Vote

Time off to vote is available for those whose work hours exceed polling place hours. If not, employers are not required to give time off to vote. Employees in Alabama may take up to one hour, but not if the polls are open two hours before their shift and open at least one hour after their shift. The employer is not required to pay wages for the time off. Whether this time is paid varies by town.

Verify Voter Registration

To verify your voter registration status,

 

click here!
Voting Machines

The voting system used in Alabama is optical scan.

Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource, or through Verified Voting.

Personalized voting information

  • See What's On Your Ballot
  • Check Your Voter Registration
  • Find Your Polling Place
  • Discover Upcoming Debates and Forum in Your Area

Get Started

Alabama Department of State

Secretary of State

PO Box 5616

Montgomery, Alabama 36130-5616

 


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