Absentee ballots are available at the Chilton County Courthouse for the Nov. 4 General Election.

The ballots can be applied for at the office of Chilton County Circuit Court Clerk Glenn McGriff, who is also the county’s absentee election manager.

Any qualified elector may vote by mail or in person at the absentee election manager’s office if he or she makes an application in writing no less than five days prior to the election and meets one of the following requirements:

•The person will be out of the county on Election Day.

•The person has any physical illness or infirmity that prevents his or her attendance at the polls.

•The person works a shift that has at least 10 hours that coincide with the hours the polls are open at his or her regular polling place.

•The person is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of his or her personal residence that prevents his or her attendance at the polls.

•The person is a member of, or spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Alabama National Guard, the U.S. Naval Reserves, the U.S. Air Force Reserves and the U.S. Army Reserve on active duty, or active duty training, or an applicant who is the spouse of any member of the Armed Forces or any other applicant qualified to vote absentee pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff, may make application for an absentee ballot by filling out the federal postcard application form, authorized and provided for under the provisions of the Federal Voting Assistance Act.

Any registered elector who requires emergency treatment of a licensed physician within five days of an election may apply for an emergency absentee ballot for the election and may vote by returning the absentee ballot no later than noon the day the election is held. The attending physician shall describe and certify the circumstances as constituting an emergency on a special form designed by the Secretary of State and provided by his or her office to local absentee election managers. The special form shall be attached to the application.

Any registered elector whose name appears on the poll list of qualified voters may vote by an emergency absentee ballot if he or she is required by his or her employer, under unforseen circumstances, to be out of the county on an emergency business trip on Election Day. Under such circumstances, the applicant shall apply for an emergency absentee ballot at the office of the absentee election manager no later than the close of the business day one day prior to the election. The applicant shall complete and file an application form designed by the Secretary of State for emergency absentee voters. The form shall contain an affidavit that the applicant shall sign or swear acknowledging that he or she was not aware of the out-of-county business requirement prior to five days before the election. An applicant who meets the requirements of this subsection may vote by an emergency absentee ballot. After filling in the ballot, the voter shall hand the ballot to the absentee ballot election manager.

Completed absentee applications must provide the Alabama residence where the voter is registered to vote, even if the ballot is to be mailed to another address where the applicant/voter regularly receives mail. If you have moved and have not updated your polling place, contact the Chilton County Board of Registrars to update your address prior to applying for an absentee ballot. The address is: Chilton County Board of Registrars, P.O. Box 640, Clanton, AL, 35046; or call 755-3820.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is the close of the business day Thursday, Oct. 30. Applications for absentee voting are available at the absentee election manager’s office, Room 304 in the Chilton County Courthouse, and at the Secretary of State’s website: www.sis.state.al.us. Any completed application must be returned by the voter in person or be sent by U.S. Mail. Multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope (Attorney General Opinion Number 82-00551).

The absentee election manager shall forward absentee ballots by U.S. Mail to the applicant’s residence address or upon written request of the voter, to the address where the voter regularly receives mail; or by handing the ballot to the voter in person or, in the case of medical emergency voting, to his or her designee in person.

Oct. 30 is the last day voters may apply for a regular absentee ballot for the Nov. 4 General Election.

Nov. 3 is the last business day before the election and is the last day a voter can return, in person, his or her regular absentee ballot. This is the last day to vote absentee (medical and business emergency ballots only).

A photo ID is required for all absentee voters except:

•All military voters.

•Any person with a physical disability that prevents his or her attendance at the polls.

•The elderly (age 65 and older) who are unable to physically go and vote at their regular polling place.

Office hours for absentee voting at the Chilton County Absentee Election Manager’s office are from 9 a.m. until noon and from 1-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed on state and federal holidays).