Memorandum from Siegelman and Graddick to Circuit Clerks and Registers

    MEIIORANDTIU

rlugi-rst 12, 1980

STETT OF ALABAMA
Dorv Sreoerver.t
SECRETARY OF STAIE

VONIGOMERY ALABAMA 36I30
I 205!832.3570

-

TO: Ci rcu i t Cl erks ond Registers

Chorles GrocldickFIiOM: Don S f egc Imon ond

Re: Absentee Vot fng

Pl ease f i nd enc losed the f ol I owing ruh f ch tue ltope tl/i I I
be of he I p to You.'

No. 80'732 (ctn Absentee Yottng)

,tct 80-732 oncl o corlprtrison ruiih
1. A copy of Ac t

2. A synopsis of
t'he old Iaw.

In the recent rnunf cfpot elections' os fn past elec-
ttons, severoI questions hove arrsen os to tlie proper proce-
dure f or aosentie bol I oLing. Jack^venable, choirrlon of tire

House Consti;;iions ond El-ecttons Corrnittee, -oi ruell as

Joyce lvlartin, Prestdent of the Assocf otion of clerks ond t

Registars, osked thot ve include the follot',frtg instrttetinns
f or your cons iderat f on:

A.ContrarytoinstructtonSruhichr.lererecently,
put out by one of the nnior printing cony-'onies'
oppli.ott'ons f or absentee bol Iots clo not hove
to be in ony particulor f orm' IheJ.. trtay -bc hcnd-
rr,'ritten or come to )'ou on a f ormul opplrcotion
( 317 - 10 -4 , 9.9.99.-9.L-41-gDgrys,-L27-r-' ) . . In n1v cose 

',,h; oppl iLaTloi,-Tn-r,,noTanA.i f ornt it cotnes to

)oi, must tncluile the opplfcont's '!lonle' tQsfrlence
oddress,ondsuchot}rerinformationllecessoryto
verify itrot such opplfcont is a registered voter'
(,'1ct 80-732).

tLrc noNS OlvlSlON

LAHSY CHILO€RS
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF SIATE

-,OillJ TOCXETT
tt tCT|ONS SPtCTALtST

il;.1;.) lh'76

x,::;;' ,no, r



Circu
Page

it CIerks ond Registers
2

C.

B. Appt iconts for absentee bal Iots moy request o

noi tot f or 'the 
Sept ember 2nd primary ond the

run- of f 
' on Sep t em'ber 23rd on the sg4e opp I i -

"otton'tf they wfsh. lf they do-so, g.bollot
f or the 'run-o'f f may be sent to them wf thout
'f urther oppl icat ion. Otherrui se, on appl icont
must make two sepa rate oppl icot f ons; one f or the
pr imary ond one 

-f or the run-of f bef ore they ccn
receive o bol lot for each.

One who oppties for on absentee ballot for a

por t i cu I oi- par ty pr imory may- -be. sen t o ,
tonstitutionaL Lmln;men't Uottot olso, for oll
urho vote fn the pr[morf es are eligrbte to vote
on the constitutionol amendment questions'
The converse horuever is 19t true. One ruho oppl ies
;;i"ty for a constitutfonoT amendment bollot
connoi 'recei.ve o part! primary bal lot unless he

speciftcol tY oPPI ies for it'

Appticotf ons moy be prcked qP qnd distrIbuted by 
-

others. fof f'ot's 4q.!.g be mai'led or hond del tvered
to the aosentii voie|. No other manner of
delivery is outhorized. under Alabama loru''
(sectioh 2, Act 8o-732)

The oppticont f or on obsentee bollot mqy -rerluest
hts o'r'her-boliot to be maited Lo ony uddress
they choose. lf more thon one person- requests
his or her botl'ot to be returned to the some

oddress, there may or may not be couse f or the
Df strici Attorney to investigote' However' as

the obsentee bol I of manager, it fs your responsi'
bility to mail the bollot to whatever address
the absentee bollot o.opIf cont so desires'

D.

tr

F. Al I oppl icotIons ond affidovrts for on obsentee
bot lot should be pres erved in cose of d contest
orintheeventthatoninvestrgotionbythe.
Distr ict Attorney reveol s evidence ruhich ruould
worront some proiecutoriol oction' lt is
recomnencted tirot the oPpt f cot rons be held in the
oif tce of the clerk or'regis-tef -with the list of
thos e applyf ng f or obsent'Le bot Iots si'rty (60)
doys af't'er'thZ'election. At thrs time t1e If sts
ancl the opplicotf ons should be f ilerl ruith the
probate ,irl; e-.- The af f i6ovf t s slrort I d be bundl ed

seporateiy ina i.'ept rrrlth Li'te bollots hy the.-
irrLr if f f-o, six lrontlrs. ( SI7 -13-s, 99.9e-eL-4!g!qfe
t975).



Cfrcuit Clerks ond Registers
Page 3

C. tltril e the low stotes that appl icotf ons rnay 19t
be made prior to o sf rty (60). day period' thi'1
Is on odministrative regulotIon onty and oppli-
.cotions mode for obsentLe bollots prior to that
period should be honored ot the ttme you receive
Lbsentee bol lot election suppl ies'

lyhil e the probate iudge under current low may
wott os la-te os truinty-one (21) doys to delfver
ol I necessory obsenteL bal I ottng elec-t !9n
supplies to you, it il-itronslv "ls1!-lhi.l-Io'conioct the probate office ond ask that such
tupplfes be delfvered to you os eorly ds

H.

Possible-

lJnder the neur obsentee vot ing Ioru severol impor tont
chonges vnere i,oae- Two of thos e are the f olLoruing:

(1) At 12:00 Noon on the day of the election
theobsenteeelectionmonagerdeliversthe
bollotstotheabsenteeelectionoffic.iols.
A;-ihi; time, pollluotchers f or "glgf dctes
maybepresent.toobservetheverificltfon
p"'o""rt. (Act 80-732, Sectron 6') If the
ballot does not comply lvf th Alabama low' i'e''
f t'f s not property iuitnessed or notarized;
not sfgned by the voter; or does not other-
wfse c6ntatn sufficfent information to
determInethotsuchpersonisaqualffied
elector ond entitled to vote absentee' the
bollot should not be counted' In most other
coses, when o bol lot is chol lenged' the bal lot.
should be counted; the affidovit' however'

"ffi;ie ii ^"rked, 
chor tenged wr th the bosis

of tni chol lenge listed ong turned over t'o

the- District A-ttorney for investigotIon.

(2) A second significant change made in the new
a,iintee voling loru i s thot f raudulent obsentee'
votf ng is nol' i f elony ptrnf shoble by imprison-
ment Jr, the penf 

'tentitry 
f or Bq!-!g!s-thgn-s1e

ygaL 
-LgL-rygLe -!bgl-!Ug' 

Such person may a I so

be fined up to-t1,,o-Thousond clotlars ($2r000.00).

lle hope this inf ormotion is helpful to yoy' If 1ee

conbeofonyfurtherossistonce,pleosedonothesitateto
coll or write.

DS: eb