Deadline looms for those who want to qualify to vote
Don't miss out on the opportunity to vote Nov. 8. Here's a quick list of tips on how to register. (file)
If you’re not registered and want to vote on Nov. 8, you’d better get moving. Monday, Oct. 24, is the deadline to register to vote in Alabama and you have plenty of options on how to register.
“You can call your county Board of Registrars and request an application be mailed to you,” said Mary Ann Swann, Henry County Board of Registrars chairman, “or you can visit the office and pick one up. But, by far, the easiest way is to go online and fill out an application at alabamavotes.gov.”
There are other options as well. A citizen of Alabama can register to vote when applying for or renewing a driver license and at state and local government offices when applying or recertifying for Aid to Dependent Children, SNAP, TANF, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid or Rehabilitation Services. In addition, you can register at public libraries and at armed forces recruiting stations.
Swann said that once your application is complete, it goes to your county for approval and a voter identification card will be mailed to you that will include the address of your polling place.
To qualify to vote in Alabama, you must be a U.S. citizen living in the state and be at least 18 years old. In addition, you can’t register to vote if you have been convicted of a disqualifying felony or legally declared “mentally incompetent” by a court.
Swann said voter registration is up about 15 percent in Henry County, and according to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, November’s election will see unprecedented voter turnout across the state.
A valid photo ID is required to vote. The following forms of photo ID can be used at the polls: a valid Alabama driver license, a valid Alabama nondriver ID, a valid Alabama photo voter ID card, a valid state-issued ID (Alabama or any other state), a valid federal-issued ID, a valid U.S. passport, a valid employee ID from the federal government, the State of Alabama, county, municipality, board or other entity of the state, a valid student or employee ID from a public or private college or university in Alabama (including postgraduate, technical or professional schools), a valid student or employee ID issued by a state institution of higher learning in any other state, a valid military ID, or a valid tribal ID.
Polling places in Alabama will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.
