Are you planning to vote? What if some unfortunate event happens today, and you end up in a doctor’s office or hospital or a business emergency arises, and you have to be out of the county? You can still vote before 5:00:
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, if you:
- Are required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on Election Day for an emergency business trip
- Have a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician
The statute which governs this Emergency Absentee Ballot is:
Section 17-11-3
Absentee balloting generally.
* * *
(c) Any registered elector who requires emergency treatment of a licensed physician within five days of an election may apply for an emergency absentee ballot for the election and may vote by returning the absentee ballot no later than noon on the day the election is held. The attendant physician shall describe and certify the circumstances as constituting an emergency on a special form designed by the Secretary of State and provided by his or her office to local absentee election managers. The special form shall be attached to the application.
Here is the application in Alabama: APPLICATION FOR EMERGENCY ABSENTEE BALLOT
In addition to application information outlined in the next section, the business emergency application contains an affidavit acknowledging that you were 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.
To obtain an absentee ballot, write or visit the local absentee election manager at your local circuit clerk. You will need to provide the following information:
- Name and residential address (or other information to verify voter registration)
- Election for which the ballot is requested
- Reason for absence from polls on Election Day
- Party choice for primary elections
- Address to which the ballot should be mailed
- Voter signature (if a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed)
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. The absentee ballot applications must be turned in no later than the fifth day before the election.
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).
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!
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