Beginning with the June 3, 2014, primary election, Act 2011-673 requires an Alabama voter to have a specific type of photo identification at the polls to vote.
If a voter does not have one of …
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Beginning with the June 3, 2014, primary election, Act 2011-673 requires an Alabama voter to have a specific type of photo identification at the polls to vote.
If a voter does not have one of the approved forms of photo ID as stated in the law, then he or she may receive a free Alabama photo voter ID from various locations including the Secretary of State's Office, local county board of registrars' offices, and a mobile location to be determined by the Secretary of State's Office.
For a free photo voter ID, go to https://tinyurl.com/49x8ntd4.
VALID ID AT THE POLLS
A voter can use any of the following forms of photo ID at the polls:
If a voter possesses any of these forms of ID, he/she is not eligible to receive a free Alabama photo voter ID card. The voter must bring one of these photo IDs to the polls on Election Day or place a copy of the ID in absentee ballot materials.
A voter who is required to present valid photo identification, but who does not do so will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot as provided for by law.
In addition, a voter who does not have a valid photo ID in his or her possession at the polls shall be permitted to vote if the individual is positively identified by two election officials as a voter on the poll list who is eligible to vote and the election officials sign a sworn affidavit so stating.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: I turned in a voter registration application. Am I registered to vote?
Just because you turned in a voter registration application does not necessarily mean you are registered to vote. Once your application has been processed by your local Board of Registrars, you should receive an acknowledgement from the Registrars indicating the status of your application. This acknowledgement will usually be a voter identification card confirming that you are registered to vote. However, if your application was incomplete, you may receive a letter requesting additional information to complete your application. If you are unsure about the status of your application, you can always call your local Board of Registrars or visit Alabama Votes’ Polling Place and Registration Status page at https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/VoterView.
Q: How can I become involved in the electoral process as a high school or college student?
Alabama Act 2019-476 allows eligible high school and college students to intern as unpaid student poll workers. Students must be recommended by their principal or other school official and must be at least 16 years of age at the time of the election. For the full list of requirements and the application, go to https://www.sos.alabama.gov/student-poll-worker-internship.
Q: I have moved from one county to another and want to vote. What should I do?
When you move across county lines, you must register to vote in your new county of residence. Voter registration does not automatically follow you from one county to another.
Q: It's the day before the election. I forgot to register to vote. Is it too late?
Yes, it is too late to register to vote for that election. To participate in an election, you must submit your application before registration closes for that election. Registration is closed during the 14 days prior to an election and on election day. The deadline for this election was Aug. 11.
Q: What if I make a mistake marking my ballot?
If you have not already placed your ballot in the electronic tabulator or ballot box, you may ask a poll worker for another ballot. The poll worker will spoil your first ballot so that it cannot be counted or reused.
Q: Are candidates allowed to campaign outside my polling place?
Yes, electioneering or campaigning is permitted outside the polling place. However, this activity must not be closer than 30 feet to the entrance of the polling place. If the polling place is in a room within a building, the campaigning must not be closer than 30 feet to the entrance of the building.
Q: Can a candidate assist me in marking my ballot?
Yes, if you ask the candidate to help you. The only people who cannot assist a voter are the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union.
Q: Can I wear campaign buttons or T-shirts with political advertisements into the polling place?
Yes. However, you should not loiter or leave any campaign materials in the polling place.
Q: Can I carry a sample ballot into the voting booth?
Yes. However, you should not leave the sample ballot in the polling place.
Q: If constitutional amendments are included on the ballot, must I vote on them?
No. You are not required to vote on constitutional amendments. Similarly, you are not required to vote in all races on the ballot. Participation is your choice.
Q: In a primary election, am I allowed to vote for the constitutional amendments only?
Yes. In fact, if you choose not to participate in nominating candidates for either political party, you can request a constitutional amendment ballot that contains only the proposed constitutional amendments.
Q: When I voted in the primary election, I was asked to declare a political party preference. Why is that?
In Alabama, the primary election is part of the nominating process for a political party. It is used to select who will represent a party in the general election. You are required to choose one political party’s primary over another because you cannot participate in the nomination of both parties’ candidates. However, in the general election, you may split your ticket and vote for candidates from each political party.
Q: What happens if I do not want to declare a political party preference at the primary election?
If you choose not to declare a political preference at the primary election, you will not be eligible to vote in any political party’s primary election. You are, however, still eligible to vote on any proposed constitutional amendments that are up for a vote.
Q: I voted in my political party's primary election. My party is not having a runoff. Can I vote
in the other party's runoff?
No. In 2017, the Alabama Legislature passed Act 2017-340, which prohibits a person from voting in one political party's primary election and voting in a different political party's primary runoff election. Therefore, if you vote in a primary election and want to vote in a primary runoff election, you must vote in the primary runoff election of the same political party that you chose in the primary election. However, if you did not vote in a political party's primary election and would like to vote in the primary runoff election, you may choose which political party's primary runoff election you would like to vote in.
Q: Can I take a cell phone into my polling place?
Yes. However, use of the phone in the polling place should not disturb other voters or disrupt the polling place.
Q: Can I take photographs or videotape inside my polling place?
Each voter has the right to cast a ballot in secrecy and in private. The U.S. Department of Justice has advised that photography or videotaping inside a polling place does not serve any useful purpose and may instead actually intimidate voters who are exercising their right to vote. However, voters are permitted to take a picture of or with their ballot, as long as they do not disclose the content of any other voter's ballot or disrupt the voting process.
Q: I do not see my question on this page. What do I do now?
If your question is not addressed on this page, please call the Elections Division at 1-800-274-8683 or (334) 242-7210.
Source: Alabama Votes, Alabama Secretary of State
