When does absentee voting start?
The Probate Judge is required by law to provide ballots and supplies to the Absentee Election Manager 55 days before an election.
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What are the qualifications for obtaining an absentee ballot?
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A TRADITIONAL ABSENTEE BALLOT §17-10-3, Code of Alabama
- The voter expects to be out of the county or the state on Election Day;
- The voter has any physical illness or infirmity which prevents his or her attendance at the polls;
- The voter expects to work a shift which has at least ten hours which coincide with the hours the polls are open at his or her regular polling place;
- The voter is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of his or her personal residence that prevents his or her attendance at the polls;
- The voter is a member of, or spouse or dependent of a member of the armed forces of the United States, or is similarly qualified to vote absentee pursuant to the federal Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C 1973ff;
- The voter has been appointed as an election officer or named as a poll watcher at a polling place other than his or her regular voting place;
- The voter is a caregiver for a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity, if the family member is confined to his or her home; or,
- The voter is incarcerated in prison or jail and has not been convicted of a felony crime of moral turpitude.
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Am I eligible to vote absentee?
If you are registered to vote in Macon County and meet one of the above requirements, then you are eligible. If you are not registered to vote in Macon County, you will need to contact the Board of Registrars at (334) 724-2617 to register. By law the cut-off date to register to be eligible to vote in an upcoming election is 15 days before the election. You can download a voter registration form here. It should be mailed to the Board of Registrars at 101 E Rosa Parks Ave, Suite 100, Tuskegee, AL 36083-1731.
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How do I apply for an absentee ballot?
You can call David Love, Absentee Election Manager at (334)724-2513 or come by and pick up an application at the office of the Circuit Clerk/Absentee Election Manager, 101 Rosa Parks Plaza, Suite 300, Tuskegee, AL 36083. You can also download the form available in the AlabamaVotes.gov. PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU FILL OUT AND MAIL IN YOUR APPLICATION.
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Where do I mail the application?
The application must be mailed to: David Love, Absentee Election Manager, 101 Rosa Parks Plaza, Suite 300, Tuskegee, AL 36083. By law (AG Opinion 82-551), each application must be mailed in a separate envelope. Multiple applications (even for husband and wife) which are mailed in the same envelope will be returned to the voter. Applications cannot be faxed to the Absentee Election Manager. For voter applications and absentee applications visit: AlabamaVotes.gov.
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What is the deadline for voting absentee?
The cut-off date is 5 days before an election. Since elections are typically held on a Tuesday, this would be on the preceding Thursday. Your application must be received in the office on or before this date for me to be able to mail you a ballot, or you can vote in person at the office of the Absentee Election Manager through Thursday. You must have a valid I.D. included with the application.
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What if my application is postmarked Thursday?
Your application must physically be in the Absentee Election Manager's office on Thursday. That is the cut-off date for mailing a ballot.
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Can I vote absentee in person?
Yes, you can come by the Absentee Election Manager's office Monday through Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM (except on holidays) and make application and vote while you are in the office. The cut-off date is Thursday (five days before an election). The address is 101 Rosa Parks Plaza, Tuskegee, Al 36083.
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Do I need an ID to vote absentee?
Yes, you will need to present one of the following forms of ID before you can vote:
1. Current, Valid Photo Identification
- Employee identification for employee with photo of employee produced by the employer
- Photo identification card issued by Alabama college or university.
- Photo identification issued from Alabama technical or professional school (current and valid).
OR
2. One of the following:
- Utility bill of voter with voter's name and address.
- Bank statement with voter's name and address.
- Government check with voter's name and address.
- Paycheck with voter's name and address.
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by the State of Alabama (including any branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Alabama).
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by any of the other 49 states (including any branch, department, agency, or entity of that State).
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by the government of the United States of America (including any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government).
- Valid United States passport.
- Valid Alabama hunting license.
- Valid Alabama fishing license. Valid Alabama pistol/revolver permit.
- Valid pilot's license issued by the FAA or other authorized agency of the federal government.
- Valid United States military identification.
- Birth certificate (certified copy).
- Valid Social Security card.
- Naturalization document (certified copy).
- Court record of adoption (certified copy).
- Court record of name change (certified copy).
- Valid Medicaid card.
- Valid Medicare card.
- Valid electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.
- Government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
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If I am voting absentee by mail, when do I send in the copy of my ID?
When you mail in your application. You will need to send a copy of your ID at that time. Please read your instructions carefully as to how it is to be returned.
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How do I find out where my voting precinct is?
You can call the Macon County Board of Registrars at (334) 724-2617 for information on your voting precinct.
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Does my absentee ballot have to be witnessed or notarized?
Yes, by law, your ballot must either be notarized OR witnessed by two people 18 years of age or older. These may be other family members. If your ballot has not been notarized or witnessed by 2 people, it will not be counted.
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I have a relative serving in the military, how can they vote absentee?
For Alabama voters voting pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act, the Secretary of State standardizes military and overseas voter registration applications and applications for absentee ballots adopted by the United States government. §17-4-35. Normally, an individual is required to present identification with the ballot when voting by mail. However, voters entitled to vote by absentee ballot pursuant to the Act, are not required to produce identification prior to voting. §§17-9-30(d) and 17-17-28.
Unless otherwise indicated by the military or overseas voter, and application for an absentee ballot by such a voter shall remain valid for any election for a federal, state, or county office or for any proposed constitutional amendment or a state or county referendum held through the end of the calendar year in which the application is filed. The absentee election manager should provide an absentee ballot to the military and overseas voters for each subsequent election. If an election cycle begins in one calendar year and continues into the subsequent calendar year, the absentee application will shall be valid for all elections within that election cycle. §17-11-5(d). As with any absentee voter, if a change in circumstances makes an absentee ballot unnecessary for a military or overseas voter, they should notify the clerk's office to avoid being required to vote by provisional ballot at their polling place.
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I have power-of-attorney for a relative, can I vote for them?
No, at this time the law (AG Opinion 84-359) does not allow a person to vote for someone else.
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I have moved since the last election, how will this affect my being able to vote absentee?
You need to get in touch with the Board of Registrars at (334) 566-1757 and update your address. If I receive your application and the residence address is different than what is on file with the Board of Registrars, you will have to vote a Provisional Ballot.
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Do I have to file a new application for every election?
The law states that any elections which are 42 days apart must have a new application (except military absentee applications).
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What if I find out after the Thursday afternoon deadline that I have to go out of the county for employment reasons?
The law provides for a voter to vote business emergency if you find out after the Thursday deadline that you have to go out of the county or state for business reasons. You can go to the Absentee Election Manager's Office and vote in person on Thursday and Monday before the Tuesday election. (Unless either of these two days is a federal/state holiday).
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Must I declare a particular party to vote?
To vote in the Primary Election, you must designate the party which you wish to receive a ballot for. You cannot vote a Republican and a Democrat ballot. In the General Election in November, you can vote for candidates from any of the parties on the ballot.
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Who do I contact to vote absentee in city elections?
You need to call your city clerk at the city hall in the municipality you live in.
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