Absentee voting is now ongoing for the November general election.

Escambia County Circuit Clerk John Robert Fountain said any qualified elector may vote an absentee ballot by mail or in person at the absentee election manager’s office, if he or she makes an application in writing not less than five days prior to the election and meets one of the following requirements:

• the person will be out of the county or the state on Election Day;

• the person has any physical illness or infirmity which prevents their attendance at the polls;

• he person is unable to access their assigned polling place due to a neurological, musculoskeletal, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular or other life-altering disorder that affects their ability to perform manual tasks, stand for any length of time, walk unassisted, see, hear, or speak AND:

(a) they are an elderly voter aged 65 or older OR (b) they are a voter with a disability;

• the person works a shift which has at least (10) hours that coincide with the polling hours at their regular polling place. The person is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of their personal residence, attendance at which prevents their 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 or is otherwise similarly qualified to vote absentee pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973ff; or,

• the person has been appointed as an election officer at a polling place which is not their regular polling place.

Fountain said 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 on the day the election is held. The attendant physician shall describe and certify the circumstance as constituting an emergency.

Applications for absentee voting are available at the office of John R. Fountain, Circuit Clerk/Absentee Manager, Escambia County Courthouse, P.O. Box 856 Brewton, AL 36427 or the Secretary of State’s web page www.alabamavotes.gov. Those serving in the US Armed Forces, including spouse, should contact their commanding officer for an application.

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, you should contact the Board of Registrars at (251) 867-0243 and update your address prior to applying for an absentee ballot or update online at www.alabamavotes.gov.

A completed application must be returned BY THE VOTER in person or sent by US Mail.

“No one, not even a family member, can return another person’s application,” Fountain reminded voters. “Multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope.”

He said the absentee election manager may not give any person access to completed and filed applications for absentee ballots. This information is not a matter of public record. It should be considered privileged information just the same as voter registration applications.

The absentee election manager shall forward absentee ballots by US 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.

Voter identification instructions will accompany each absentee ballot and must be carefully followed to ensure that the ballot meets the requirement of the law.

Thursday, Nov. 3, is the last day voters may apply for a regular absentee ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election.

Monday, Nov. 7, is the last day before the election a voter can return in person his or her regular absentee ballot. This is the last day to vote a business emergency ballot. Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 7 and received in the clerk’s office by noon on Election Day.