JeffCo Voters Can Hand-Deliver Absentee Ballots To Courthouses

JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL — The Jefferson County Commission Friday approved a resolution permitting absentee voters in the county to hand-deliver their ballots to the Birmingham or Bessemer courthouse Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.

Absentee voters may drop off ballots between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. The Jefferson County Commission said in a release Friday that voters who live in the Bessemer Division must send absentee applications and return ballots to the Bessemer Courthouse, while voters who live in the Birmingham Division must send absentee applications and return ballots to the courthouse in downtown Birmingham.

Ballots must be delivered to the Absentee Election Manager's office. In the Birmingham courthouse, the office is on the fifth floor. In Bessemer, the office is in the basement.

Related Story: Election Voter Guide 2020: What Is On The Jefferson County Ballot

Secretary of State John Merrill said he expects more than 100,000 absentee ballots to be cast in this year's election statewide, which would set a state record for the most number of absentee ballots ever cast in an election.

To vote absentee in Alabama, follow this checklist:

• Applications for an absentee ballot must either be submitted in person or by mail to the office of the Absentee Election Manager in the county in which the applicant is a registered voter.
• For those with concerns about COVID-19, the appropriate box to check is the second one, which reads "I have a physical illness or infirmity with prevents my attendance at the polls [ID REQUIRED]."
• The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is the 5th calendar day prior to the election.
• Fill out the application completely. A copy of your valid photo identification must be submitted along with the application.
• An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election and received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on election day. If hand-delivered, the ballot must be in the office of the Absentee Election Manager by the close of business (but no later than 5 p.m.) on the day prior to the election.