How to vote in Alabama

The information on this page applies to the November 3, 2020 General Election. Voting for that election has ended in all states.

Who can vote

You have to register to vote before Election Day in Alabama.

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 on or before election day
not be barred from voting by reason of a disqualifying felony conviction, or if you have been convicted, you must have had your civil rights restored. You can find the list of disqualifying felonies on the Secretary of State’s website here at: sos.alabama.gov/mtfelonies
not have been declared mentally incompetent in a court
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"
You can find more information on voting rights restoration here

Vote in person

Due to COVID-19, in-person services may have limited availability. Contact your local Board of Registrars to confirm. See CDC guidance on safe in-person voting.

Vote on Election Day

Voters registered in Alabama can look up where to vote on Alabama's site.

No early voting

Alabama does not offer an early voting period. If you will be unable to vote in person on Election Day, you can request an absentee ballot by mail or by visiting the office of your local Absentee Election Manager.

What to bring

You will need to show photo ID to vote in Alabama. Acceptable forms of valid photo ID include: Alabama driver's license (may be expired up to 60 days); Alabama non-driver's ID card (may be expired up to 60 days); Alabama photo voter ID card; digital driver's license or non-driver ID issued by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; photo ID card issued by Alabama or any other state; federal government issued ID; US passport; employee ID card issued by the federal government, the State of Alabama, county, municipality, board or other entity in Alabama; student or employee ID issued by a public or private college or university in Alabama (ID can be digital); student or employee ID issued by a state institution of higher learning in any other state (ID can be digital); US military ID; or a valid tribal ID.
Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot. In order for your ballot to be counted, you must provide your ID, including your address and your telephone number, to the board of registrars no later than 5:00 P.M. on the Friday following the election. If you fail to provide ID to the board of registrars by that time, your ballot will not be counted. In addition, voters who do not show valid photo ID at the polls can vote a regular ballot if they are 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.

Vote by mail

Review the absentee ballot application and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Fill out the application completely.
Submit the request to your local Absentee Election Manager’s office.
When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.

See what's on the ballot

Learn more about what will be on your ballot by visiting Ballotpedia.

Get step-by-step help

TurboVote can help you start the absentee/mail-in ballot request process, send you election reminders, and more. If you’d like more help planning how to vote, we can walk you through the process!

Election Day registration

Alabama does not offer registration on Election Day.

Military and overseas voters

Active-duty military, their families, and overseas citizens can register to vote and request their absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FPCA process is done by mail, but your state may offer other options to request and return ballots. Please contact your election official for more information about delivery and return methods, including email, fax, and state online portals. To follow the FPCA process:

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.
Send the application to your election official.
It is never too early to submit an FPCA! Please do so as soon as possible.
Please fill out and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it.
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 Absentee Election Manager’s 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 Absentee Election Manager’s 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. You can also call 1-800-438-VOTE or email vote@fvap.gov

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.

Election contact information for Alabama

Address:
Office of the Secretary of State
Alabama State Capitol Building - Election Division, Suite E-208, 600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130

Phone Number:
(800) 274-8683

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