Your ultimate guide to voting in Jefferson County

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Exercising your right to vote is more important than ever. We rounded up resources, deadlines and more from Jefferson County to help make it easy. The Chairman of the JeffCo Board of Registrars also walked us through safety and sanitation measures that will be in place this year. Check it out!

Voter Registration

Registration is the starting point. If you’re a new voter or need to update your registration for any reason (ex: if you’ve moved, gotten married or had any other status change), you have a few registration options.

In order to be eligible to register, you must meet certain qualifications. If you:

• are a U.S. Citizen
• live in the State of Alabama
• will be at least 18 years of age on or before Election Day
• are not barred from voting by reason of a disqualifying felony conviction
• have not been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law

you are eligible to vote.

3 Ways to Register

1. In Person

You may register or update your voter record at a Courthouse or Jefferson County Library. Find a location near you at this link.

2. Mail-In

Fill out this form online, then download and print it. Mail your completed form to your county’s Board of Registrars. For Jefferson County, the mailing address is as follows:

716 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd. Suite A-410
Birmingham, Alabama 35203-0115

Don’t have a printer? Fill out this quick form to have a voter registration packet mailed to you. Fill it out by hand and send it back to the address listed above.

3. Online

If you have a valid Alabama Driver’s License or valid Alabama Non-Driver’s Identification card, you can register online. Just follow this link to get started.

Important Dates

From voter registration deadlines to election days, here’s what’s coming up in Jefferson County this year:

• July 9: Last day to vote absentee for the July election
• July 14: Primary Runoff Election
• August 25: City elections in Jefferson County (if applicable)
• October 19: Last day to register for the General Election
• October 29: Last day to vote absentee for the General Election
• November 3: General Election Day

On July 14, Jefferson County will hold a Primary Runoff Election. Democratic Party voters will be choosing a candidate for the Jefferson County Treasurer Race, while Republican Party voters will be choosing candidates for the United States Senator and Court of Criminal Appeals Judge races.

We all know what’s coming up in November, but be sure to check out your sample ballot beforehand, research candidates and go in ready to make an informed decision.

Absentee Ballots

As we remain in the midst of a global pandemic, concern surrounding public health has lead to a broad conversation about absentee voting. Alabama has gained national attention when it comes to this issue.

*UPDATED 07/21/20*

As originally reported in this guide, a ruling by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals blocked the state of Alabama from enforcing witness and photo ID requirements for certain high-risk absentee voters. Then in July 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the ruling that allowed curbside voting in Alabama and eased mail-in voting requirements

As of July 20, 2020, any registered voter in the state of Alabama may vote absentee, even if none of the excuses listed on the form apply. If none of the excuses apply to you, yet you still want to vote absentee, simply mark the second box on the application, which reads:

“I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls. [ID REQUIRED]”

Apply for an Absentee Ballot

• Fill out this form online.
• Print the form.
• Include a copy of your valid photo identification.
• Mail to the office of the Absentee Election Manager for your county.
• The address and contact info for the Jefferson County Absentee Election Managers are as follows:

Birmingham Division:

716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N Room 500
Birmingham, Alabama, 35203-0102

• Phone: (205) 325-5313
• Email: Ashley.mann@alacourt.gov

Bessemer Division:

1851 2nd Ave. N.
Bessemer, Alabama 35020

• Phone: (205) 497-8510
• Email: Karen.dunnburks@alacourt.gov

Where to Vote

Last but not least, Election Day. Knowing your polling location is vital, and it’s easy to find.

Follow this link to begin. Once you are registered, you can search by voter information. If you’re not yet registered or need to update your information, you can search by residence address. Find a full list of Jefferson County polling locations here

Personal safety and public health is obviously a concern for many this year. Jefferson County is taking that seriously and preparing measures well in advance.

“We will have personal protection equipment for the poll workers. They’ll have facemasks, gloves, disinfectant and isopropyl alcohol wipes. There will be hand sanitizer and signage about social distancing…

For our voters, we will be sanitizing everything on a regular basis. There’ll be hand sanitizer for the voters. We’ll have signage to remind them about social distancing… We’re putting a lot of personal protection equipment inside the precincts for both the poll workers and the voters.”

Barry Stephenson, Jefferson County Board of Registrars, Chairman

What to Bring

On Election Day, be sure to arrive with a valid form of identification. Options include the following valid documents:

• Alabama driver’s license or non-driver ID card
• Alabama photo voter ID card
• State-issued ID (from Alabama or another state)
• Federal-issued ID
• U.S. passport
• Employee ID from the Federal Government, State of Alabama, County, Municipality, Board or other Alabama entity
• Student or employee ID card issued by a college or university in the state, provided it includes a photo
• U.S. military ID card containing a photo
• Tribal ID card containing a photo

At any polling location and in any election, if you run into trouble, you can call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). You can also follow Jefferson County of Facebook and Twitter to keep up with any important updates.

Voting is vital, Birmingham. Be sure you’re prepared! If you have more questions, check out the Alabama Secretary of State’s 2020 Voter Guide right here.

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