Absentee voting begins today

WINSTON COUNTY      -  Although the general election is still two months away, the process for applying to vote absentee has already begun, with absentee voters officially starting the process today, Wednesday, Sept. 11.
The process for voting absentee in preparation for the general election the first Tuesday in November or Nov. 5-- begins 8 a.m. today, for those who are veterans or anyone unable to attend the polls on the date of the general election.
Those voting absentee have some options, such as going to the Winston County Commission office in the courthouse and seeing Absentee Election Manager Dallas Baldwin.
They should remember to take a copy of a current photo identification or driver’s license that is required in order to receive an application, which can be completed on site in order for the person to receive an absentee ballot, Baldwin said.
They can also call the absentee election manager’s office at 205-489-5026, and an application can be mailed to them, she added.
The person who makes application for an absentee ballot is the only person who can bring the completed application back to Baldwin’s office, she stated.
“No one else can hand deliver it for them,” Baldwin emphasized.
Once the person has voted the absentee ballot in person, he or she places the ballot into a secrecy envelope and sealed, election officials explained.
The secrecy envelope will then be placed into another envelope,  which contains the voter’s name as well as affidavit which must be signed by the voter, stated Winston County Election Officer Sheila Moore.
The envelope will then be placed into the ballot box, which will be locked and not opened or counted until election day, according to Moore.
Another option in registering to vote absentee is visiting the website alabamavotes.gov, where they can click on Absentee Voting, select Winston County, complete the application then print it out and mail it to her office, Baldwin explained.
If the person chooses to mail the application, along with a copy of their photo ID, they need to send it to P.O. Box 220, Double Springs, Al. 35553.
Once Baldwin receives the completed application and copy of photo ID, an absentee ballot will be mailed back to the individual, election officials said.
“They need to be sure, when they submit that application, that they also submit their photo ID,” Baldwin reminded. “If not, their application will not be processed. It will be returned to them.
“That is the key to all of this, is to send in a copy of their photo ID with the application,” Baldwin stressed.
The last day a person can vote absentee in person or walk in to vote absentee is Thursday, Oct. 31.
If an absentee ballot is being mailed, it must be received at the post office in Double Springs by noon on election day, Nov. 5, election officials said.
Before the absentee ballots were actually voted, Baldwin had already received over 80 absentee voting applications, she pointed out.
“Compared to what we had in the spring (during the primary election), it’s a lot,” Baldwin pointed out. “We only processed about that many total in the spring.
“And we’re already at 80 and we haven’t technically started doing the ballots yet,” Baldwin said this past week.

Turn in absentee applications ASAP

Baldwin stressed to those voting absentee, they need to get their applications turned in as soon as possible, because of the uncertainty of the time it will take for the ballots to be mailed.
“Sometimes mail can be slow,” she stated. “So get them in, if they are coming by mail, sooner rather than later.
“We got some ballots back that were postmarked two weeks before the election, after the election,” Baldwin pointed out, adding those votes will not count.
“As soon as you receive the ballot, don’t lay it to the side,” Baldwin further emphasized. “Vote it and mail it back.
“Don’t leave it around and think you’ll get to it another day. You will forget, and your vote will not count. We want everybody’s vote to count.”
Anyone with concerns or questions on the absentee voting process can contact Baldwin at the earlier number. “We’ll be glad to help them anyway we can,” she said.

Voter registration deadline

The last day a person can register to vote for the general election is October 21,  by going to the Winston County Board of Registrar’s Office in the county courthouse, election officials said.
“Anyone who is  17-years-old, who will be 18-years-old on election day or between Oct. 21 and Nov. 5, needs to go ahead and register and they will be put on the poll list,” Moore emphasized.
Moore encouraged younger as well as older residents to go out and exercise their right to vote, in what is being described as a pivotal election in the nation’s history.
“People need to take that initiative to go vote,” Moore stressed. “This is a free country, and everyone has the right to go and cast a ballot and vote, and it’s really important that the younger generation get involved and vote.
“That’s our democracy, to go vote,” Moore continued. “High school students, if you are eligible to go vote, get registered and vote.
“This is a presidential election,” she added.
 
Offices on upcoming ballot

Offices on the upcoming ballot include not only the nation’s president, but also representatives to the 4th Congressional District, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Associate Justice of Supreme Court places 1-4, Court of Criminal Appeals Places 1-3,  Court of Civil Appeals Places 1-3, Public Service Commission, State Board of Education district 7.
Winston County and district offices on the ballot include Circuit Court Judge Place 2, District Judge, Winston County circuit clerk, probate judge, county commission chairman, superintendent of education, county board of education districts 1-5, coroner and constables in precincts 1-8.
Although these county offices will not have any Democrat opposition in the general election, the local candidates’ names are on the ballot, because the general election ballot has a place for write-ins, Moore explained.
“It can’t be a fictitious name like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Superman,” Moore stressed. “It needs to be a real live person who would live within our county.”

Lynn polling site changed

All polling sites throughout the Winston County will be the same for the general election, with the exception of the town of Lynn, which has changed their polling site from the former town hall to the new community center located at 22584  Highway 5, based on official approval by the county commission at a recent meeting.