PRESS RELEASE
MAY 19, 2026
STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION
ABSENTEE VOTING
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
Tuesday, May 12, 2026:
Last day for absentee applications to be received by mail for the PRIMARY Election. (17-11-3(a))
Thursday, May 14, 2026:
Last day voters can return in person, his or her regular absentee application. No one, not even a family member, can return another person’s application by hand, (except a medical emergency voter named designee).
Monday, May 18, 2026:
Last day a voter may hand deliver his or her absentee ballot to the AEM. No one, not even a family member, can return another person’s ballot (except a medical emergency voter named designee).
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION DAY:
Mailed ballots must be received in the mail no later than noon on this date. Voted medical emergency ballots delivered by the voter’s designee must be received no later than noon on Election Day.
PERRY COUNTY ABSENTEE ELECTION MANAGER’S OFFICE
Location: Perry County Courthouse, Suite 110, 300 Washington Street, Marion, Alabama 36756
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 334-683-6106
How To Obtain Absentee Ballot Application:
Perry County Absentee Election Manager’s Office; Secretary of State’s web page: www.alabamavotes.gov; United States Armed Forces members, including spouses, should contact their commanding officer for an application or may go online: www.alabamavotes.gov
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ABSENTEE VOTE
ABSENTEE APPLICATIONS
Under ACT 2019-507, absentee ballot applications must now be accompanied by a copy of current, valid photo identification, unless the voter is exempt from the identification requirement. Failing to provide the identification will result in your ballot becoming a provisional ballot.
Separate applications for absentee ballots are required for elections which are more than 42 days apart, except as to individuals voting pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff. Primary and Primary Runoff, should there be one, would only require one application, but you must request and select for both.
To be issued an absentee ballot in primary elections, voters must specify on the application if they want a Democrat or Republican ballot.
Each application must be mailed separately. Multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope, even if the voters live at the same address.
Completed absentee applications must provide the Alabama residence where the voter is currently registered to vote, even if the ballot is to be mailed to another address where the applicant voter regularly receives mail. Note: If you have moved and have not updated your polling place, contact the local Board of Registrars and update your address prior to applying for an absentee ballot.
Applications for an absentee ballot must be signed by the actual voter and need not be witnessed unless the voter signs by a mark. The use of Power of Attorney or any other third-party to sign and/or deliver the application is prohibited. Completed applications can only be accepted by the actual voter in person or by mail or commercial carrier. Family members or other third-party delivery is not allowed.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
The Absentee Election Manager shall forward absentee ballots by U.S. Mail to the applicant’s residence address or upon written request of the voter to the address where the voter regularly receives mail or by handing the ballot to the voter in person or, in the case of medical emergency voting, to his or her designee in person.
Voters must complete ALL the information on the Affidavit of the absentee voter envelope. The Affidavit must be signed or marked by the actual voter and witnessed by two witnesses 18 years of age or older or by a Notary Public or other officer authorized to acknowledge oaths prior to being delivered or mailed to the Absentee Election Manager. Failure to do so will result in the ballot not being counted. The use of Power of Attorney or any other third-party to sign or mark for the voter on the Affidavit is prohibited.
The Absentee Election Manager may not give any person access to completed and filed applications for absentee ballots. This information is not a matter of public record. It is considered privileged information just the same as voter registration applications.
WHO MAY APPLY
Qualified voters can apply for an absentee ballot that can be cast by mail, commercial carrier, or in person at the Absentee Election Manager’s office, if he or she makes application in writing not less than five days prior to the election and meets one of the following requirements:
PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING, IF CHECKED:
A. The voter expects to be out of the county or state on Election Day.
B. The voter is physically incapacitated and will not be able to vote in person on Election Day.
C. The voter expects to work a shift which has at least 10 hours that coincide with the polling hours at his or her regular polling place.
D. The voter is currently incarcerated in prison or jail but has not been disqualified by conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude as defined by ACT 2024-341.
E. The voter has been appointed as an election officer at a polling place other than his or her regular polling place.
F. The voter is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of his or her personal residence and therefore is unable to vote at their usual polling place on election day.
G. The voter is a caregiver for a family member to the second degree of kinship who is confined to their home.
PHOTO ID WILL NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING, IF CHECKED:
H. The voter is physically incapacitated and will not be able to vote in person on election day. He or she is unable to access the assigned polling place due to a neurological, musculoskeletal, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, or other life-altering disorder that affects their ability to perform manual tasks, stand for any length of time, walk unassisted, see, hear, or speak, AND: A) Is an elderly voter aged 65 or older. OR B) Is a voter with a disability.
I. The voter is a member of, or a spouse or dependent of a member of, the Armed Forces of the United States or is similarly qualified to vote absentee pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. Section 20302.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY:
Any registered elector who requires emergency treatment of a licensed physician within 5 days of an election may apply for an emergency absentee ballot for the election and may vote by returning the absentee ballot no later than noon on the day the election is held. The attendant physician shall describe and certify the circumstances as constituting an emergency on a special form designed by the Secretary of State and provided by his or her office to the local absentee election managers. The special form shall be attached to the application.
BUSINESS EMERGENCY:
Any registered voter whose name appears on the poll list of qualified voters may vote by an emergency absentee ballot if he or she is required by his or her employer under unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on an emergency business trip on Election Day. The voter shall apply for an emergency absentee ballot at the office of the Absentee Election Manager no later than the close of the business day one day prior to the election. The applicant shall complete and file an application form for emergency absentee voters. The form shall contain an affidavit which the applicant shall sign or swear acknowledging that he or she was not aware of the out-of-county business requirement prior to five days before the election.
If all else fails, you can always go to the polls on Election Day!
— Mia Jacobs-Turner
Absentee Election Manager
