Political Action

Casting your vote is what a democracy is all about. It keeps us a Government of the People by the People. Let's be prepared when November 3^rd rolls around, each and every one of us should check to verify our voter registration is up to date and active. Also, check your polling place, many have changed since the last election. Both can be verified by following this link https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview . If you have never registered to vote you can do so by following the same link or call the union hall and we will help get you the correct forms.

Photo ID is a requirement to vote in the state of Alabama. The following lists the ID's that will be accepted or how to request a free ID if you do not have one.

To download the application for a free photo voter ID, click here.

Valid ID at the Polls

A voter can use any of the following forms of photo ID at the polls:

• 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)

o Valid AL Department of Corrections Release- Temporary ID (Photo Required)

o Valid AL Movement/Booking Sheet from Prison/Jail System (Photo Required)

o 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 a voter possesses any of these forms of ID, he/she is not eligible to receive a free Alabama photo voter ID card. The voter must bring one of these photo IDs to the polls on Election Day or place a copy of the ID in absentee ballot materials.

A voter who is required to present valid photo identification but who does not do so will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot as provided for by law.

In addition, a voter who does not have a valid photo ID in his or her possession at the polls shall be permitted to vote if the individual is positively identified by two election officials as a voter on the poll list who is eligible to vote and the election officials sign a sworn affidavit so stating.

For more information, download the Alabama Photo Voter ID Guide.

Many are working out of town or shifts of more than 10 hours preventing you from getting to the polls. Following are the rules for absentee voting.

Absentee Voting Eligibility

A voter may cast an absentee ballot if he or she

• 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.

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)
• a copy of your valid photo identification
• 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 runoff ballot, the absentee election manager may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments.)
• address to which the ballot should be mailed
• voter signature. (Signature must be original, electronic signatures will not be accepted. 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), by U.S. Mail, or by commercial carrier. No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter's absentee ballot application.

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. The absentee ballot applications must be turned in no later than the 5th calendar day before the election.

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 medical emergency absentee voting)

Ballot Procedure

The absentee ballot comes with 3 envelopes -- one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain pre-addressed envelope, (the outer envelope). 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
• Seal the affidavit envelope and 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

WITNESSES OR NOTARIZATION
An absentee ballot cannot be counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has the signatures of two witnesses.

The voter has only the following legal ways to return the absentee ballot:

• forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail
• forwards the absentee ballot by commercial carrier
• personally hands their own absentee ballot to the absentee election manager (or delivers by a designee in the case of emergency absentee voting)

VOTING DEADLINE
An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election and received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on election day. 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.