Each prospective absentee voter who meets the requirements of this chapter shall be furnished with the absentee ballot herein provided for, together with two envelopes for returning his or her marked ballot and instructions for completing and returning the absentee ballot as well as instructions for correcting mistakes in completing ballots or obtaining a replacement ballot. One envelope shall be a plain envelope in which the ballot shall be sealed by the voter after he or she has marked it.
The second envelope shall have the voter's affidavit printed on the back and shall be large enough to seal the plain ballot envelope inside. The second envelope shall also be a return mail envelope.
Such return mail envelope shall be addressed on the front to the absentee election manager and shall be endorsed on the left-hand upper corner thereof as follows:
"Absent Voter's Ballot. State, County, Municipal, General, Primary, or Special Election (as the case may be) to be held on the ___ day of ____, 2__ From ______ (name of voter), precinct or districts _________, County of _______, Alabama."
After marking the ballot and subscribing the oath herein required, the voter shall seal his or her ballot in the plain envelope, place that plain envelope inside the affidavit envelope, complete the affidavit, have a notary public (or other officer authorized to acknowledge oaths) or two witnesses witness his or her signature to the affidavit, and forward it by United States mail to the absentee election manager or hand it to him or her in person.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the absentee election manager shall determine whether an applicant for an absentee ballot is obligated to produce identification in accordance with Sections 17-9-30 and 17-10-1 or reidentify in accordance with Chapter 4. For absentee applicants required to produce identification, a third envelope of different color and sufficient size to enclose the first and second envelopes shall be provided to the applicant along with instructions for including a proper form of identification in accordance with Sections 17-9-30 and 17-10-1.
For absentee applicants required to reidentify because they do not appear in the voting place for which they seek to vote but do appear in another voting place within the state voter registration list, the absentee election manager shall provide to the voter a third envelope of different color and sufficient size to enclose the first and second envelopes along with a voter reidentification form, a provisional voter affirmation, and instructions in accordance with Section 17-10-2. Such ballot shall be treated as a provisional ballot and the term "Provisional" shall be marked on the second or affidavit envelope prior to transmitting the ballot to the voter. Applicants for an absentee ballot who do not appear on the state voter registration list shall not be entitled to an absentee ballot.
Last modified: May 3, 2021