New absentee option for permanently disabled voters

MONTGOMERY – Alabama Act 2019-359 became effective September 1, allowing a permanently disabled voter to apply for a disabled voter absentee ballot.

The application is required to be signed and notarized by the primary physician of the disabled voter.

After 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 and will automatically be 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 the 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.

“I would like to commend Representative Victor Gaston (R-Mobile) and Senator Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) for their dedication in making this possible. We want all eligible Alabamians to be able to participate in the electoral process without impediments. We must do everything we can to remove these boundaries in order to make voting as easy as possible,” stated Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill.

Following the enactment of Alabama Act 2019-507, a valid form of photo identification must be presented at the time a voter applies for an absentee ballot.

All updates are reflected in the information provided on the Secretary of State’s website.