ALABAMA, USA — The state of Alabama is expecting a record number of absentee voters this year, and many people will be voting absentee for the first time.
Here at WZDX our Voter Access Team is helping you prepare for the November election by working to educate you one the voting process and deadlines so that you can make your vote count.
We sat down with Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill to discuss what folks in the valley need to know about voting absentee this year.
Absentee ballots are stored until Election Day, when they are counted. We wanted to know more about where they are kept and how they are eventually counted.
"Well the main thing that people need to know, is if they would rather vote in-person all 1,980 polling sites will be open on Election Day. But if they would prefer to vote in the privacy of their own home, in a secure environment, they can vote absentee."
"I have actually invoked Title 17-11-3, which gives a universal excuse for all voters in our state to vote absentee. They will mark the box that says 'I am ill or infirm and will be unable to appear at my polling site on Election Day.' With that being the case, then anyone can use that excuse and be able to vote for the candidate of their choice."
"Now, when they successfully submit their application, obviously you have to follow all directions, so in most instances that means returning a copy of your valid Photo ID. But you will have a ballot returned to you, to the address where you want it mailed, you complete your ballot, return it to the Absentee Election Manager, and they will hold it until Election Day. On Election Day those ballots will be opened and they will be processed. And those votes, the Absentee Votes, will be the first ones that will be reported on Election Day."
We wanted to know if there is a way for voters to actually track their ballot to know when it is counted.
"Yes! Actually, all they have to do is follow the tracking system that is online at alabamavotes.gov, which is the same place that you can register to vote and the same place you can download an absentee ballot or download a fillable PDF before you submit it."
Certain mistakes can cause an absentee ballot to be rejected. So what are the most common mistakes people make?
"Well, the most common mistakes are that people don't follow the directions. So if you read the directions, and you follow the directions, then your ballot will be counted for the candidate for your choice. And if you don't follow the directions, you are putting yourself in a difficult position, in order to make sure that your ballot is going to be counted the way that you intended it to be counted."
Alabama's 2011 Voter Photo ID Law has been challenged in court over the past few years and in July of this year was upheld. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling siding with the state in a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of Alabama's voter ID law.
So what counts as a Photo ID at the polls and what should you do if you don't have one?
"Well there are ten forms of ID that are acceptable, as far as the law is concerned in Alabama. Those are all listed at alabamavotes.gov. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call our office at 334-242-7200. They will tell you what those options are. But if you do not have one of those items when you check the list, you can contact our office or contact your local Board of Registrars and we will make sure that you have a free ID made so you can vote, and then your voice can be heard."
Secretary Merrill added that although other states doing universal mail-in voting may not have their results on Election Night, he says that election results will be available the night of November 3rd for all 67 counties in Alabama.
RELATED: Alabama Secretary of State discusses what to plan for if you are voting in-person in November
To hear what Secretary Merrill had to say about in-person voting click here.
Watch the full interview here: