Absentee voting open for general election
Published 11:00 pm Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Brundidge residents still have some voting to do for the municipal election, but other Pike County residents can now focus solely on the national election.
Election Day isn’t until November 8, but voters needing to vote absentee can go ahead and cast their absentee ballots any time until November 3.
The qualifying reasons for a resident to vote absentee are:
• The person will be out of the county or the state on Election Day.
• The person has any physical illness or infirmity which prevents their attendance at the polls.
• The person is unable to access their assigned polling place due to a neurological, musculoskeletal, respiratory (including speech organs) cardiovascular or other life-altering disorder that affects their ability to perform manual tasks, stand for any length of time, walk unassisted, see, hear, or speak AND: (a) they are an elderly voter aged 65 or older OR (b) they are a voter with a disability.
• The person works a shift which has at least ten (10) hours that coincide with the polling hours at their regular polling place.
• The person is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of their personal residence, attendance at which prevents their attendance at the polls.
• The person is a member of, or spouse or dependent of a member of, the Armed Forces of the United States or is otherwise similarly qualified to vote absentee pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff.
• The person has been appointed as an election officer at a polling place which is not their regular polling place.
Emergency ballots can be filled out by noon on Election Day in the case of a medical emergency or by the closing of the business day prior to the election in the case of an unforeseen business trip.
Applications for absentee voting are available at the office of Jamie N. Scarbrough, Circuit Clerk/Absentee Manager, Pike County Courthouse, 120 W. Church St, Troy, AL 36081 or the Secretary of State’s web page www.alabamavotes.gov. Those serving in the US armed forces, including spouse, should contact their commanding officer for an application.
Completed absentee applications must provide the Alabama residence where the voter is registered to vote, even if the ballot is to be mailed to another address where the applicant or voter regularly receives mail. Residents who have moved and have not updated their polling place should contact the Board of Registrars at 334-566-1757 and update their address prior to applying for an absentee ballot or update online at www.alabamavotes.gov.
A completed application must be returned by the voter in person or sent by US Mail. No one, not even a family member, can return another person’s application. Multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope.
Only the voter may hand-deliver his or her ballot to the absentee election manager in person or it can be mailed by USPS.
For more information about absentee voting, contact Circuit Clerk Jamie Scarborough at 334-566-5113.