How to register to vote in Alabama

This guide contains information about the 2018 midterm election held on November 6. It may be out-of-date.
 
Alabama offers online voter registration. You can register to vote by mail in Alabama by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local election office. You can also register to vote in person if you prefer.

Who can vote

To register in Alabama you must:
  • be a citizen of the United States
  • be a resident of Alabama and your county at the time of registration
  • be 18 years old before any election
  • not have been convicted of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary (or have had your civil and political rights restored)
  • not currently be declared mentally incompetent through a competency hearing
  • swear or affirm to "support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. and the State of Alabama and further disavow any belief or affiliation with any group which advocates the overthrow of the governments of the U.S. or the State of Alabama by unlawful means and that the information contained herein is true, so help me God"

Online voter registration

  • Alabama offers online voter registration.
  • You should know: you need an Alabama ID to use Alabama's online voter registration system. If you don't have an Alabama-issued ID, you can still register to vote by mail.
  • You can register online until Monday, October 22.

By-mail voter registration

Use the National Voter Registration Form

  1. Print and fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
  2. Box 6 - ID Number: If you have one, you must provide your Alabama driver's license number or Alabama non-driver's identification card number. If you do not have an Alabama driver's license or non-driver's identification card, you must provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. If you have not been issued any of these numbers you must write the word "NONE" and a unique identifier will be provided for you.
  3. Box 7 - Choice of Party: Alabama does NOT require that you register with a party to participate in partisan primary elections.
  4. Box 8 - Race or Ethnic Group: You are required to fill in this box; however, your application will not be rejected if you fail to do so.
  5. Review the "Who can vote?" section above and check that you're eligible.
  6. Sign the form.
  7. Send the completed form to your local election official. To register by mail, the form must be postmarked by Monday, October 22.

Use the Alabama voter registration form

You can also register to vote using the Alabama voter registration form. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and fill it out completely. Send the completed form to your local election official. To register by mail, the form must be postmarked by Monday, October 22.

In-person voter registration

Get step-by-step help

TurboVote can help you fill out your voter registration form, send you election reminders, and more. If you'd like more help registering to vote, TurboVote can walk you through the process.

Military and overseas voters

Active-duty military, their families, and voters living outside the US can register to vote and request their absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). To do so:
  1. Fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), or download a copy. Your election official may have questions, so please provide an email address or phone number where they can reach you.
  2. Send the application to your election official.
  3. It is never too early to submit an FPCA! Please do so as soon as possible. You can look up recommended mailing dates by country and region.
  4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
  5. States begin mailing absentee ballots at least 45 days before Election Day. If you haven't received your ballot by 30 days before Election Day, contact your local election office.
If after submitting your FPCA, your ballot does not arrive, contact your election official first. Then:
  • You can still vote using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). Print, sign, and mail your FWAB to your local election office.
  • If you mail a FWAB and then receive your regular absentee ballot, you should complete and mail your absentee ballot also. Election officials will ensure that only one ballot is counted.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program – FVAP.gov offers additional information on military and overseas voting in Alabama.

Check your voter registration status

You can look up your voter registration record and verify that your information is correct using Alabama's voter registration lookup tool.

Dates and deadlines

  • Election day is Tuesday, November 6.
  • The deadline to register online is Monday, October 22.
  • The deadline for registering to vote by mail is Monday, October 22.
  • The deadline to register to vote in person is Monday, October 22.

Election contact information for Alabama

Address:
Secretary of State
State Capitol Building - Suite E-208, 600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130

Phone Number:
(800) 274-8683