Want to vote absentee in Alabama? COVID-19 will be reason enough for general, municipal elections

Voters concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak will be able to vote absentee in the Aug. 25 municipal elections and the November general election. 

The move does not affect any other of Alabama’s strict absentee voting requirements, but could significantly expand the number of people eligible to vote before Election Day. It comes after six weeks of rising coronavirus caseloads and a statewide mask order aimed at controlling the outbreak. 

“Amid coronavirus concerns, it is important to remember that Alabamians who are concerned about contracting or spreading an illness have the opportunity to avoid the polls on Election Day by casting an absentee ballot,” Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said in a statement. 

The Secretary of State’s office said voters with COVID-19 concerns can mark a box citing a physical illness or infirmity preventing them from going to the polls when they apply for an absentee ballot. Voters could do the same in the July 14th runoff election. 

Rep. Tashina Morris, D-Montgomery, one of several Democratic legislators who has pushed for more voting options amid the pandemic, called the decision “a great move,” but said there needed to be additional voting options in the state. 

More:Montgomery reps call for expanded voting options ahead of November election

“Early voting is something we still need,” she said. “We’re going to have to do our part on getting people educated on absentee ballots.”

Alabamians can apply for an absentee ballot in-person or through the mail but must have a valid photo ID with them, or submit a copy of one.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot for the November election is October 29. Voters must return absentee ballots by November 2. For the August municipal elections, the application deadline is August 20. The submission deadline is August 24.

A notary public or two people aged 18 or older must witness an absentee ballot.

State officials earlier this month turned away a challenge from several voters with health conditions who said that the coronavirus outbreak made in-person voting an unconstitutional burden on their right to vote. Two lower federal courts allowed curbside voting in the state and loosened some absentee voting requirements in 3 counties. But the U.S. Supreme Court overturned those orders in an unsigned, 5-4 opinion on July 2 that split down ideological lines. A trial is still pending.

More:U.S. Supreme Court upholds Alabama restrictions on absentee ballots, curbside voting

Still, organizations that represented the plaintiffs in court celebrated the ruling. 

“We are relieved that the vast majority of voters will have the opportunity to vote by absentee ballot,” Bill Van der Pol, an attorney with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, said in a statement. “However, we remain concerned for those with disabilities who will have significantly more difficulty meeting the witness and photo requirements that the state continues to require. We look forward to addressing these issues at trial.”

Democrats in the legislature pushed for no-excuse absentee voting in the spring, but none of the bills came to a vote. Gov. Kay Ivey and Merrill in March moved the primary runoff to July 14 and said voters could cite the outbreak to cast an absentee ballot.

Circuit clerk managers saw a significant rise in absentee ballot applications ahead of the election, though most of those who voted July 14 did so in person. As of last week, the Secretary of State’s office counted 32,563 absentee ballots, about 5% of the 626,551 cast. 

But only 17% of voters showed up for the election, and those participation numbers are likely to rise in November. Nearly 67% of eligible Alabama voters cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election. 

Alabama continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic. Bama Tracker said Monday the 7-day average of new coronavirus cases stood at 1849. The virus has killed more than 1,250 Alabamians. 

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brian Lyman at 334-240-0185 or blyman@gannett.com. Updated headline at 3:15 p.m. to specify the absentee ballot changes apply to the general and municipal elections.