MONTGOMERY - Secretary of State Beth Chapman reminds all voters wishing to vote by absentee ballot in the July 15, 2008 primary runoff election that they must apply for an absentee ballot for that election and that such absentee ballot applications must be received by the absentee election manager no later than July 10, 2008.
Secretary Chapman states, “Under Alabama law, because the primary runoff election is more than 30 days after the first primary election, absentee voters wishing to vote in both elections must complete and file two separate applications for absentee ballot—one for the first primary election, and a second for the primary runoff election.” However, this requirement does not apply to Alabama military and overseas voters.
Chapman further notes that the need to file two separate applications is a change for voters who are accustomed to completing only one application. Thus, it is important that absentee voters understand that they cannot vote absentee in both the June 3rd primary election and the July 15th primary runoff election unless they have filed a separate absentee ballot application for both elections.
Under a 2006 Alabama Attorney General’s opinion, absentee election managers were instructed to send two absentee applications to voters who requested an application for the 2008 primary election cycle. Any voter with questions should call the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 1-800-274-8683.
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