In the 2002 elections, a voter may be eligible to cast a

• TRADITIONAL ABSENTEE BALLOT
  • one normally received or returned by U.S. Mail, or
  • hand-delivered by the voter to the absentee election manager

   

  TRADITIONAL ABSENTEE VOTING

  A voter is eligible for voting by absentee if he or she:

  • will be absent from the county on election day and on the on-site absentee voting day (see calendars below)
  • 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/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 of 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.

  Important 2002 Absentee Voting Dates . . .

  PRIMARY ELECTION Traditional Application Deadline: May 30

  PRIMARY RUNOFF Traditional Application Deadline: June 20

  GENERAL ELECTION Traditional Application Deadline: Oct. 31

  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 run-off ballot, the absentee election manager may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments.)
  • address to where 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.

  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.

  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 two envelopes--one plain and one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside. 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
  • 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.
  The voter has only these legal ways to return the absentee ballot:
  • send the ballot to the absentee election manager by U.S. Mail, or
  • personally deliver the ballot to the absentee election manager (or by a designee in the case of medical emergency voting).
  VOTING DEADLINE - An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election. 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.