Voters are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the Absentee Voting Process due to COVID-19 and the anticipated historic turnout at polling locations on Election Day. The deadline to request an Absentee Ballot or vote in-person at the Absentee Ballot Office is October 29. If you are voting Absentee due to the concern of contracting or spreading COVID-19, the appropriate box to check on your Absentee Ballot Application is: “I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls. [ID Required]”– this is the second box/selection on the Absentee Ballot Application. The ability to vote an Absentee Ballot due to concern about COVID-19 is legal pursuant to the emergency rule issued through the authority of the Alabama Secretary of State.

Absentee Office Info:

• The Absentee Office will open on Wednesday, September 9, 2020

• Madison County Courthouse – 100 North Side Square, Huntsville – first floor

• Open each business day – 8:30am to 4:30pm

At the Absentee Office, a voter may:

• Apply in-person for, receive, and return his or her own Absentee Ballot

• Hand-deliver his or her own completed and sealed Absentee Ballot

• Receive assistance with any part of the Absentee process

When visiting the Absentee Office:

• Please bring your valid government issued photo ID

• Please bring your own pen to avoid unnecessary contact – a pen will be provided if needed

• A face covering over the nose and mouth is strongly encouraged – a mask will be provided if needed

• Please maintain a distance of six feet

Handle it all by mail:

To avoid contact altogether voters may request and receive their Absentee Ballot via mail. The application can be found HERE. The instructions are included on the application. When your application is received and processed, an Absentee Ballot will be returned to you. Please remember that only one Absentee Ballot is allowed per return envelope.

Please see additional detailed information as follows:

Eligibility

A voter may cast an absentee ballot if he or she:

Will be absent from the county on Election Day

Is ill or has a physical infirmity that prevents a trip to the polling place

Is a registered voter living outside the county, including but not limited to, members of the armed forces or a U.S. citizen residing overseas (or a spouse or dependent of such a person) or students at an educational institution located outside their county of residence

Is an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling location other than his or her regular polling location

Works a required shift which has at least 10 hours that coincide with polling hours

Is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a spouse of, or a dependent of, a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a citizen living abroad or any other applicant qualified to vote pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.S. 1973ff (UOCAVA) – more information on Military & Overseas voting/UOCAVA is available HERE.

Application Deadline

The last day to submit application to receive an absentee ballot is 5 days before the election (Thursday of the week prior to the election) except in case of business or medical emergency (see “Business/Medical Emergency Voting” below). Completed applications must be personally delivered by the applicant or sent through the U.S. Mail with only one per envelope. Please be sure to include a copy of your valid photo ID with your application.

Absentee 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 Office by noon on Election Day. See UOCAVA section for exceptions. If hand-delivered (by the voter), the ballot must be in the Absentee Office no later than 5 p.m. on the day prior to the election. The absentee ballot must be received by the Absentee Office by noon on Election Day if the ballot is mailed.

Absentee Office Location

Madison County Courthouse

100 North Side Square

Huntsville, AL 35801

(256) 532-3684

What is Business / Medical Emergency Voting? Is required by an employer due to unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on an emergency business trip on Election Day; or

Has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5 days of an election Applications can be made after the absentee deadline but no later than 5 PM on the day before the election, if the voter: In addition to the application outlined below, the Emergency Absentee Ballot Application contains an affidavit acknowledging that the voter was 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. The Emergency Absentee Ballot Application can be found HERE.



How do I Apply for an Absentee Ballot? A copy of your photo identification (Requirement as of 8/1/2019)

Name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration)

Election for which the ballot is requested

Reason for absence from polls on Election Day

Party choice, if the election is a party primary*

Address to which the ballot should be mailed

Voter signature (if a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed) To obtain an absentee ballot, mail in an application (one per envelope), write or visit the Absentee Office to request an absentee ballot and provide the following: *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; therefore, 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 Office may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments. The absentee ballot application must be returned to the Absentee Office by the voter in person (or by the voter’s designee in the case of medical emergency voting) or by U.S. Mail. Upon receiving the absentee ballot application, the Absentee Office may request additional evidence on the reason for voting absentee if the voter has a history of continuous absentee voting.

If the absentee ballot application in approved, the Absentee Office will forward the absentee ballot by mail or deliver by hand to the voter (or to the designee in the case of medical emergency voting).

The Absentee Ballot Application can be found by clicking HERE.



What is Permanent Disability Absentee? calendar year in which the application is filed. If an election continues into the following year, the application is valid for the entire election cycle.

To apply for Permanent Disability Absentee you must first complete the application listed HERE . After the application is received and it is verified that a voter’s disability prevents his or her attendance at the polls, the voter will be placed on a permanent absentee voter list. This will result in the voter being automatically mailed disabled voter absentee ballots before each election within the calendar year. The voter’s application for an absentee ballot is good through the end of thein which the application is filed. If an election continues into the following year, the application is valid for the entire election cycle.