Alabama Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s Alabama Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of Alabama voting rules and options. It focuses on Alabama-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about Alabama voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-Alabama voting tools. It's an all-in-one Alabama voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online only if you have an Alabama Driver's License or nondriver identification card
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- by using the Vote for Alabama app
- at public libraries
- at state and local government offices when applying or re-certifying for Aid to Dependent Children, SNAP, TANF, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, or Rehabilitation Services
- when obtaining or renewing a driver's license
- at voter registration kiosks if you are an eligible student in Montgomery County high schools
Voter registration is closed during the 14 days prior to any election and on Election Day.
Voting on Election Day
Polling places are open from 7am to 7pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Absentee Voting
To be qualified to vote via Absentee Ballot, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- You will be absent from the county or state on Election Day
- You are ill or have a physical disability that prevents a trip to the polling place
- You live outside your county, for example as a member of the armed services, employed outside the US, or a college student, or are a spouse or child of such a person
- You are an election officer or poll worker at a polling location other than your own
- You work a required shift, 10-hours or more, which is the same as polling hours
- You are a caregiver for a family member confined to their home
- You are currently incarcerated in prison or jail and have not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude
You may qualify for an emergency Absentee ballot if:
- You are required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be unavailable at the polls on the day of the election
- You are a caregiver of a person who requires emergency treatment by licensed physician within five days before an election
- You have a family member die within five days before an election
- You have a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5 days of an election.
Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by noon on Election Day. If the absentee ballot is returned by hand to the Absentee Election Manager’s office, it must be delivered by the closing of business, but no later than 5pm, one day prior to the election. Only the voter may return the ballot.
Voters with disabilities are entitled to "Permanent Absentee Voter" status.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in Alabama if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are a resident of Alabama
- Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
You are NOT eligible to vote in Alabama if:
- A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.
- You have been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude
Restorative Requirements
- Contact the Board of Pardons and Paroles to begin the Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote application process. Applicants can begin the process by visiting the Pardons and Paroles office in the county where they currently live or by calling (334) 353-7771 or (334) 353-8067. For assistance with the CERV process, applicants can contact Blair Bowie at the Campaign Legal Center by calling 202-736-2201 or emailing [email protected] For other questions, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
- If you have been convicted of a felony NOT involving moral turpitude, your voting rights are not affected.
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in Alabama if:
- You reside in Alabama but are attending college in another state
- You reside in another state but attend college in Alabama
- You provide a valid photo student ID from a college/university in Alabama at the polls
Identification Requirements
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Alabama you should provide one of the following:
- Your Alabama Driver's License Number
- Your Alabama ID Number
If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:
- Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
If you do not have an Alabama Driver’s License, Alabama ID or Social Security number and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org
Voting In-Person
In Alabama, you need to show a valid photo ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:
- Valid Alabama Driver's License
- Valid Government Employee ID
- Valid US Passport
- Valid Federal Issued ID
- Valid Alabama Voter ID Card with Photo
- Valid Alabama Non-driver's ID
- Valid Alabama Issued ID
- Valid Tribal ID
- Valid Employee ID from Federal Government, State of Alabama, County, Municipality, Board, or other entity of the state
- Valid student or employee ID from a public or private college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools)
- Valid Military ID
- License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
If you do not have a required ID you may be able to vote provisionally and produce an acceptable ID by 5pm the day after the election. If you need help getting ID, go to https://www.voteriders.org/
- When applying for an absentee ballot, include a copy of your photo ID.
Witness / Notarization Requirements
An absentee ballot must include ONLY ONE the following in order to be counted:
- Notarization
- Two Witness Signatures: Witnesses Must Be At Least 18 Years Old
Exceptions may apply for disabled voters. Please contact your local election official. Military voters on active duty must mark their ballots in front of a witness. The military voter's witness does not need to be a U.S. citizen but does need to add a signature and address.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Where is my Polling Place?
Where is my Ballot?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Am I Registered?
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Overseas / Military Voter Information
State Voter Registration FAQ
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Identification Requirements
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Active military voters do not need to provide ID when voting by absentee ballot. If voting in person at the polls, however, military members will need to show acceptable ID.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |