Election Information

ELECTION INFORMATION

ALABAMA - 800-274-8683

ABSENTEE VOTING

Any qualified voter may cast an absentee ballot if he or she expects to be prevented from going to the polls on Election Day because he or she:

· Will be absent from the county on Election Day;

· Is ill or has a physical disability that prevents a trip to the polling place;

· Is a registered Alabama voter living outside the country, such as a member of the armed forces, a voted employed outside the United States, a college student, or a spouse or child of such person;

· Is an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling place other than his or her regular polling place;

· Works a required shift of 10 hours or more that coincides with polling hours;

· Is required by an employer due to unforeseen circumstances to be out of the country on Election Day; or

· Has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a physician and the physician describes and certifies the circumstances.

Business and medical emergency voting applications can be made after the deadline but no later than 5 pm on the day before an election.

Rules and Deadlines;

· An absentee ballot application must be turned in no later than the 5th calendar day before the election.

· An absentee ballot must be postmarked or hand-delivered by the close of business (but no later than 5 pm) on the day prior to an election.

EARLY VOTING

Called elections enforcement in Alabama and they do not allow early voting and you must have a reason to vote absentee.

ALASKA – www.elections.alaska.gov

Beginning 15 days prior to an election, and continuing through Election Day, voters may vote:

· Absentee early at a Regional Elections Office in the jurisdiction where the voter is registered. Regional offices are located in Juneau, Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks and Nome, or

· Absentee in-person at any Regional Elections Office or absentee voting location.

What is the difference between absentee in-person voting and early voting?

· When voting early, the voter’s eligibility to vote is verified at the time of voting through the Division of Elections statewide voter registration system.

· Early voting available only during Primary, General and Statewide Special Elections.

· Since voter’s eligibility to vote is verified the voter simply signs a certificate and the voted ballot is placed into the ballot box.

· When voting absentee in-person the voters eligibility is verified about being issued a ballot.

· Since voters eligibility could not be verified at the time of voting the voter’s voted ballot is placed inside an absentee voting envelope prior to being placed the the ballot box.

ARIZONA – spoke with Elections Enforcement

· Allows early voting which beings 26 days prior to the election.

· May request a ballot up until 11 days prior to an election to be mailed to you.

· Last day you may pick up an early ballot is the Friday prior to election.

· Emergency ballot can be picked up 1 day prior to election

· No early voting is handled by machine.

· All early voting is done by a paper process which is placed in a box and not counted until signature verification is done. (Arizona gets your signature from MVD)

· Signature verification is a manual process

· Any election called pursuant to the laws of the state of Arizona shall provide for early voting.

· Voter may make a request for an early ballot to be mailed to him/her as early as 93 days before the election.

· Voters may obtain an early ballot from the County Recorder or other officer in charge of elections through an oral or written request.

· Requests for early ballots may be made through – in person, in writing, by mail, by telephone, by fax, by e-mail and by internet.

· Has Permanent Early Voting List

· On-site Early Voting – the County Recorder may establish early voting locations in the Recorder’s office and at other sites throughout the county.

· Accessible voting devices shall be used at on-site early voting locations where the poll workers have access to voter registration records and signatures images. Early voters electing to use the accessible voting device shall be required to sign an early ballot accessible voting devise affidavit.

· All accessible voting devices used for early voting shall be physically secured at all times.

ARKANSAS – 501-682-1010

Absentee Voting

To be qualified to vote an absentee ballot, you must meet one of the following criteria:

1. You will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on election day, OR

2. You will be unable to attend your polling site on election day due to illness or physical disability, OR

3. You are a member of the U.S. armed forces, merchant marines or the spouse or a dependant family member, OR

4. A U.S. citizen domiciled in Arkansas but temporarily living outside the territorial limits of the United States.

Vote Early

· Depending on the type of election being conducted, you may early vote during the 7 or 15 days prior to Election Day.

· In most counties, early voting is conducted at the county clerk’s office.

· In counties with off-site early voting (a location other than the county clerk’s office), local newspapers will publish the designated sites.

CALIFORNIA – 916-657-2166

Registered voters in California can vote in person at their local polling places or vote by mail. If you decide to vote by mail, your request for a vote-by-mail ballot must arrive at your county elections office at least 7 days before Election Day.

COLORADO – www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/OLVR-faqs.htm

· If you choose not to go to the polls on Election Day, you may apply to vote by mail-in ballot

· You may choose to have your name placed on a permanent mail-in voter list

· You may also vote early. Early voting is available during regular business hours for 10 days before a Primary Election and special legislative election and for 15 days before a General Election or other November election conducted by your county clerk and recorder. Eligible electors who appear in person at the early voters polling place during this time may cast their ballots in the same manner as any ballot would be cast in a precinct polling place on Election Day.

DELAWARE – http://elections.delaware.gov/services/voter/absenteeballot.shtml

Delaware does not have early voting and you must have an excuse to receive an Absentee Ballot.

IDAHO – http://idahovotes.gov/vinfo.htm

· Absentee Registration and/or Application for Absentee Ballot must be applied for by the Applicant to the County Clerk in the County in which the elector's Idaho residence is

· If you wish to have an absentee ballot mailed to you, the request must be received by the county clerk's office by the 6th day prior to the election. You can still cast an absentee ballot in person at the absent elector's polling place (usually the county clerk's office) up until 5 p.m. the Friday before the election.

· Absentee Voting in person - Voting before election day at an absentee polling place is also available.

ILLNOIS – www.elections.il.gov (telephone number 312-814-6440)

Early Voting

· Registered voters may cast a ballot prior to Election Day without having to provide a reason for wanting to vote early. This ballot is cast by personal appearance at the office of the election authority or at a location established by the election authority. An election authority is either a county clerk or a Board of Election Commissioners.

· An election authority may establish permanent polling places for early voting at locations throughout the election authority’s jurisdiction, including but not limited to a municipal clerk’s office, a road district clerk’s office or a county or local public agency office.

· Voters casting an early ballot must display valid identification such as a current driver’s license, a state-issued ID card or another government-issued ID with a photograph.

· The votes cast during the early voting period will not be counted until after the polls close on Election Day.

Absentee Voting

· Any qualified elector of the State of Illinois properly registered where registration is required may vote by absentee ballot, registered or non-registered members of the United States Armed Forces while on active duty (as well as their spouses and dependents), registered and non-registered citizens of the US temporarily out of the country (as well as their spouses and dependents), state and federal employees (and their spouses) who had a voting residence in the precinct at the time they entered employment but who now reside elsewhere due to state or federal employment, may retain their voting rights in that precinct.

· Absentee voting may take place in person or by mail

· Voter must obtain an application for absentee ballot, either by mail or in person from their election authority (county clerk or board of election commissioners).

· A person may request and vote an absentee ballot without specifying a reason for the absence from the polling place on Election Day.

· Absentee voting – in person not more than 40 days or less than 1 day prior to the election – by mail inside the US not more than 40 days or less than 5 days prior to the election – by mail out side the US not less than 30 days prior to the election to receive full ballot or less than 30 days prior to the lection, but more than 10 days prior to the election to receive a Federal ballot only.

· If an absentee ballot is done by mail, the voted ballot must be placed into the certification envelope provided.

· Absentee ballots must be returned personally or by mail.

INDIANA

Indiana does not have early voting and you must have an excuse to receive an Absentee Ballot.

IOWA

In the state of Iowa, registered voters may request an absentee ballot for three reasons (listed below). However, the law does not require the voter to state the reason on the request form. Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot at any election:

· When, during the time the polls are open on Election Day, the voter expects to be absent from the precinct in which he/she is a registered voter.

· When, through illness or physical disability, the voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls and voting on Election Day.

· When the voter expects to be unable to go to the polls and vote on Election Day.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky, registered voters may vote at the precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting.

LOUISIANA

Early Voting, In Person (R.S. 18:1303)

You do not need a reason to vote early! All voters may vote early, just like they are voting on election day.

Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters office or at designated locations in the parish from 14 days to seven days prior to any scheduled election. Refer to the schedule below for early voting time periods for upcoming elections and refer to the Schedule of Elections for future time periods.

Absentee Voting

For all other voters, to request absentee ballots by mail, complete and return a Request for Absentee Ballot by Mail PDF form indicating the reason you are not able to vote in person, either during early voting or on election day. Return the form to your parish Registrar of Voters. For the upcoming election dates, go to Election Dates.

Must have an excuse to vote absentee.

KANSAS – 800-262-8683 (www.kssos.org/elections/elections_registration_voting.html)

Voting in Kansas is easier than ever. With advance voting, any registered voter can vote by mail or in person before Election Day.

· Advance voting application

· Contact your county election officer to request an application for an advance voting ballot.

· Complete the application and return it to your county election officer.

· You can have your ballot mailed to you starting 20 days before the election.

· You may vote in person in the county election office starting the Tuesday before election day, or up to 20 days before the election, depending on the county.

· All ballots must be received in the county election office by the close of polls on election day.

· Sick, disabled or illiterate voters may receive assistance in applying for and casting advance voting ballots.

MINNESOTA – www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=211

In Minnesota, citzens are allowed to bote absentee for the following reasons:

· Absense from your precinct

· Illness or disability

· Serving as an election judge in another precinct

· Religious discipline or observance of religious holiday

· Eligible emergency declared by the governon or quarantine declared by the federal or state government

Military and overseas voters can also vote by absentee ballot.

You may vote by absentee ballot in person or by mail.

MARYLAND – www.elections.state.md.us/voting/early_voting.html

Maryland does have early voting. See the website for exact dates.

EARLY VOTING

Voting during early voting is the same as voting on election day. When you get to the early voting center, you will check in to vote and vote your ballot. Like election day voting, you will vote on the touchscreen voting system.

At the end of each day of early voting, all voting equipment and other election supplies will be secured at the early voting center.

ABSENTEE VOTING

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. You do not need an excuse. It is done by mail or in person with a fill in paper ballot.

MASSACHUSETTS – www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howabs.htm

Massachusetts does not have early voting. They use absentee voting and you must have an excuse. You may vote by absentee ballot if you:
1. will be absent from your city or town on election day, and /or
2. have a physical disability that prevents your voting at the polling place, and /or
3. cannot vote at the polls due to relitious beliefs.

You can either have an absentee ballot mailed to you or you can arrange with your local election official to vote in the city or town hall.

You may return your competed absentee ballot by mail or you or a family member may hand-deliver it to the local election official. Your completed ballot cannot be delivered directly to your polling place on Election Day.

MICHIGAN – www.michigan.gov/sos

Michigan does not allow all voters to cast ballot prior to Election Day. Michigan does not have early voting. Of course, qualified Michigan voters can cast absentee ballot prior to Election Day.