23 days left to apply for absentee ballot in primary runoff election
As the coronavirus resurgence in Alabama worries many voters about voting in person and threatens voter turnout in the primary runoff election, Secretary of State John Merrill is reminding voters there are only 23 days left to apply for an absentee ballot and avoid going to the polls in person. To protect the safety and well-being of our voters, Secretary Merrill encourages those who are concerned about contracting or spreading the coronavirus to apply for and cast an absentee ballot ahead of the July 14 election. How to apply Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded online or requested by visiting or calling the local Absentee Election Manager’s office. Voters may also contact the Secretary of State’s Office at (334) 242-7210 to request an absentee ballot application. Due to the declared states of emergency, any qualified voter who determines it is impossible or unreasonable to vote at their polling place shall be eligible to check the box on the absentee ballot application that is most applicable to that individual. In the case none of the boxes are appropriate, voters can check the box which reads as follows: “I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls. [ID REQUIRED]” The following video walks voters through applying for an absentee ballot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xxwlwV-4fE&t=11s Deadlines For the primary runoff election, the deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is Thursday, July 9. The deadline to return an absentee ballot to the Absentee Election Manager is the close of business Monday, July 13. The last day to postmark an absentee ballot is Monday, July 13. Voters who are eligible to vote pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act will have until Tuesday, July 14 to postmark an absentee ballot.
Lawsuit: Some Georgia absentee ballots sent out too late
Election officials in some Georgia counties waited too long to send out absentee ballots for the state’s Dec. 4 runoff election, so the deadline for returning those ballots should be extended, the Georgia Democratic Party argues in a new federal lawsuit. Results of the general election were certified Nov. 17, but at least 65 of the state’s 159 counties didn’t send out absentee ballots for the runoff until this week, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday. That leaves some would-be absentee voters with only a week to get their ballots back to elections officials. There are two statewide races on the runoff ballot — secretary of state and a seat on the Public Service Commission. Runoff elections in Georgia are triggered when no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote. The lawsuit was filed against interim Secretary of State Robyn Crittenden in her official capacity as the state’s top elections official. A spokeswoman for her office didn’t respond to an email Friday seeking comment. The state Democratic Party voter protection hotline received calls from voters seeking help getting absentee ballots they had applied for, the lawsuit says. It is the latest in a series of federal lawsuits filed before and after the general election raising concerns about how and whether the state counts certain ballots. Generally, absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. The lawsuit asks a judge to order that absentee ballots postmarked by Dec. 4 and received by Dec. 7 be counted. It also asks that the secretary of state be prohibited from certifying the election results until she has confirmed that those ballots have been counted. Georgia law says county officials have to send absentee ballots to eligible applicants for a runoff election “as soon as possible” after the results of the general election are certified, the lawsuit says. Data from the secretary of state’s office shows that five counties began sending out absentee ballots on Nov. 19, the first business day after the general election results were certified, the lawsuit says. Several others sent out absentee ballots on Nov 20 or 21. But 44 counties didn’t send out absentee ballots until Nov. 26, and 21 more waited until Nov. 27, the lawsuit says. “This has and will result in arbitrary and disparate treatment of voters who seek to exercise their respective rights to vote via absentee mail-in ballot, based solely on their county of permanent residence,” the lawsuit says. The number of people affected is not insignificant, the lawsuit says, noting that 283,839 people requested absentee ballots in the general election and at least 121,301 people had submitted applications for absentee ballots for the runoff election. Overseas and military absentee ballots already are considered valid if they’re postmarked by Election Day and received within three days after that, so extending that deadline to other absentee ballots would not be overly burdensome for election officials who have until Dec. 10 to certify their election results, the lawsuit argues. If that solution is not adopted, state Democratic Party chairman Dubose Porter said in a statement submitted with the lawsuit, some Georgia citizens “will lose their fundamental right to vote, because their ballots will have been sent to them too late to cast a ballot that will be counted.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
How to get an absentee ballot in Alabama before the Nov. 1 deadline
If you’re going to be out of town or otherwise unable to go to the polls on Election Day, you still have the ability to cast a vote in the Nov. 6 election — you just need an absentee ballot. Alabamians have until Thursday, Nov. 1 to request an absentee ballot to ensure their voice is heard. But not any excuse for skipping the polls will qualify you for an absentee ballot. According to the Secretary of State’s office, a voter may vote absentee if he or she: WILL 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 WORKS A REQUIRED SHIFT, 10-HOURS OR MORE, that coincides with polling hours Voters can make application in person if they prefer and gain access to an absentee ballot that same day. If submitting an application by mail, voters can download and complete the form at alabamavotes.gov. Nov. 5 is the last day for voters are eligible to hand-deliver or postmark an absentee ballot to the Absentee Election Manager’s office in each county. A link to those county offices may be found here.
John Merrill lays out information on School Board runoff election
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill released information Wednesday regarding an April 12 runoff election in Mobile County. The election is for the District 1 State School Board member and pits Republican incumbent Matthew Brown against newcomer Jackie Zeigler. In the March 1 election, neither candidate got enough votes to outright win the party’s nomination. Because Mobile Public Schools will be enjoying Spring Break the week of the runoff, many residents will likely be out of town. Because of that, Merrill has released instructions on how residents can obtain an absentee ballot and cast their votes. Voters can download an absentee ballot application through the Secretary of State’s website or request one in person at 205 Government St. in Mobile. The last day to request a ballot is April 7. Ballots returned by mail must be sent by April 11 and received by noon on Election Day. Absentee ballots submitted in person must be turned in by close of business April 11. For information, contact Merrill’s office at (334) 242-7200.
