Ala. Admin. Code r. 820-2-3-.04

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 820-2-3-.04 - Forms For Overseas And Military Absentee Voting

(1) This rule is intended to provide any form or ballot by which an absentee election manager or registrar shall administer the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20301. Any form or ballot described in this rule may be used in any primary or general election.

(2) The State of Alabama adopts any form or ballot issued or promulgated by the federal government to implement the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20301. Any form or ballot issued or promulgated by the federal government in the future to implement the Act is adopted prospectively. Any form or ballot described in this rule may be used by a voter covered by the Act in lieu of any form or ballot issued or promulgated by the State of Alabama for absentee voting, such as the Standard State Application Form for Absentee Voting described in Paragraph 4 of this rule. The scope of this paragraph shall include, but is not limited to, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, FWAB SF-186.

(3) Absentee ballot material sent to a voter by an absentee election manager pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20301, to vote in a primary election shall include a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, FWAB SF-186, to vote for any federal candidate in a second primary election. Absentee ballot material sent to a voter by an absentee election manager pursuant to this paragraph shall also be accompanied by an instruction provided by the Secretary of State explaining that the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, FWAB SF-186, may be used to vote in a second primary election.

(4) The State of Alabama adopts a Standard State Application Form for Absentee Voting; which may be used by a voter covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20301. The form may also be used by any other voter who applies to vote absentee. The form shall appear as follows:

Front Side of Application

Click to view image

Back Side of Application

PENALTIES § 17-17-24, Code of Ala. 1975, as amended

(a) Any person who willfully changes an absentee voter's ballot to the extent that it does not reflect the voter's true ballot, any person who willfully votes more than once by absentee ballot in the same election, any person who willfully votes for another voter or falsifies absentee ballot applications or verification documents so as to vote absentee, or any person who solicits, encourages, urges, or otherwise promotes illegal absentee voting, shall be guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony. Any person who willfully aids any person unlawfully to vote an absentee ballot, any person who knowingly and unlawfully votes an absentee ballot, and any voter who votes both an absentee and regular ballot at any election shall be similarly punished.

(b) Upon request by the local District Attorney or the Secretary of State, the Attorney General shall provide investigating assistance in instances of absentee ballot or voting violations.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impede or inhibit organized legal efforts to encourage voter participation in the election process or to discourage a candidate from encouraging electors to lawfully vote by absentee ballot.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 820-2-3-.04

New Rule: Filed February 10, 2006; effective March 17, 2006. Amended: Filed February 5, 2008; effective March 11, 2008.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVI, Issue No. 08, May 31, 2018, eff. 6/18/2018.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVIII, Issue No. 01, October 31, 2019, eff. 12/15/2019.

Authors: Adam L. Bourne, William Sutton, Jean Brown, Ed Packard, Brent Beal, David Brewer, Jeff Elrod

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 17-11-4, 17-11-5(d); Act 2019-507.