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Alabama | Voting Guide
Voting Guide
Alabama
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 15 days before Election Day.
2024 Election Information
Primary Election: March 5
Voter Registration Deadline: February 16 (in person), February 17 (by mail), February 19 (online)
Mail Ballot Application Deadline: February 27 (by mail), February 29 (in person)
Primary Runoff Election (if required): April 16
Voter Registration Deadline: April 1
Mail Ballot Application Deadline: April 9 (by mail), April 11 (in person)
General Election: November 5
Voter Registration Deadline: October 21
Mail Ballot Application Deadline: October 29 (by mail), October 31 (in person)
For more information on registration and voting, please consult the Alabama Elections Division – Office of the Secretary of State Voting Guide. For additional information on any local and municipal elections, please visit: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/upcoming-elections
Official Election Websites
More election information at:
https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes
Online voter registration available at:
alabamainteractive.org/sos/voter_registration/voterRegistrationWelcome.action
Mail-in voter registration form available at:
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Online Registration: To register to vote online, you must have a valid Alabama driver’s license or non-driver ID. Please see the link above for Alabama’s online voter registration portal.
Paper Registration: Alabama’s paper voter registration form asks for your Alabama Driver’s License or Non-Driver ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Alabama requires photo ID to vote both in person and absentee. Acceptable IDs may include the following:
A valid Alabama Driver’s License or Alabama Non–Driver ID card (not expired or expired less than 60 days)
A valid student or employee photo ID from a public or private college or university in Alabama or by a state institution of higher learning in any other state.
A valid Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Driver's License or Non-Driver ID (not expired or expired less than 60 days)
An Alabama free Photo Voter ID card
Any other valid photo ID card issued by a state or the federal government
A valid U.S. passport
A valid employee photo ID issued by the federal government, Alabama state government, municipality, board, or other entity of this state
A valid U.S. military photo ID
A valid tribal photo ID
If you do not have a valid form of photo ID, prior to Election Day, you may apply for a free photo ID by using this form. You may also request a home visit by a Photo Voter ID Mobile Unit by calling 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or by using this form.
If you do not have a valid photo ID when voting in person, you are still eligible to cast a regular ballot if your name appears on the official voters list and you are positively identified by two election officials. Otherwise, you may cast a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will not count unless you provide a valid photo ID to the county board of registrars no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday following the election.
For more information about voter identification in Alabama, please visit: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/voter-id.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/VoterView/PollingPlaceSearch.do
How Can I Vote?
By Mail: Absentee voting in Alabama requires an excuse. You may cast an absentee ballot if: (1) you are a registered Alabama voter living outside of the county in which you are registered; (2) you expect to be absent for the county or state—or municipality for municipal elections—on Election day; (3) you are ill or have a physical infirmity preventing you from going to the polls; (4) you will be working a shift that has at least 10 hours coinciding with Election Day polling location hours; (5) you are an appointed elections officer or poll watcher serving at a polling place that is not your own; (6) you are a care giver to family member confined to their home; (7) you are incarcerated at a prison or jail but remain eligible to vote.
Absentee Ballot Application Deadline: Applications for absentee ballots returned by mail must include a copy of acceptable voter ID and must be received by your county’s Absentee Election Manager no later than seven (7) days before the Election Day. Applications returned by hand must be received no less than five (5) days before Election Day.
Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline: Completed absentee ballots returned in person must be received by the close of business, and no later than 5:00 p.m., on the day prior to Election Day. Absentee ballots submitted by mail must be received by the Absentee Election Manager by noon on Election Day.
To be counted, an absentee ballot must be notarized or signed by two witnesses over the age of 18. Electronic or remote notarization of the absentee ballot affidavit is not allowed. Learn more about voting by mail by visiting: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/absentee-voting
Election Day: Sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by closing time, you have the right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
Does Registering to Vote Affect My Federal Financial Aid?
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Does Registering to Vote Affect My Status as a Dependent on My Parents’ Taxes?
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Does Registering to Vote Impact My Tuition Status?
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in Alabama affect my driver’s license or car registration?
Registering to vote in Alabama does not necessarily affect your driver's license or car registration. However, as a new resident of Alabama, you may be required to make changes to your driver's license and car registration regardless of whether you register to vote there. You may wish to contact the Alabama Motor Vehicle Division.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Alabama legal professional.
Last updated February 2024