MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The first presidential election ballots will be mailed out on Wednesday, as Alabama officials begin mailing them to voters as the Nov. 5 election is less than two months away.
North Carolina was originally scheduled to begin sending out mail-in ballots last Friday, but that was delayed after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. successfully sued to have his name removed from the ballot. He has filed similar objections in other states where the presidency plays a decisive role after he abandoned his campaign and supported Republican candidate Donald Trump.
While the voting milestone is relatively peaceful and takes place in a state that is not a political battleground, it is a sign of how quickly Election day is approaching after this summer’s party conventions and the first presidential debate on Tuesday between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump.
“We are ready,” said Sharon Long, deputy clerk in the Jefferson County clerk’s office.
Long said her office received ballots Tuesday and will begin sending out mail ballots Wednesday morning to voters who have registered, overseas voters and military personnel. Voters can also come to their election office, fill out the application and even submit a ballot in person.
Long said her office has received more than 2,000 requests for mail ballots. “We expect a lot of interest,” she said.
Alabama does not have traditional early voting, so mail-in ballots are the only way to vote besides going to the polls, and even then the process is limited. Mail-in ballots in Alabama are only allowed for people who are sick, traveling, incarcerated or have a shift that coincides with polling hours.
Next week, in-person voting for the fall elections will begin in several states.
Justin Roebuck, clerk of Ottawa County, Michigan, who attended an election workers’ conference in Detroit this week, said his office is ready once voting begins in that state.
“At this point in the cycle, it’s a point where we feel like, ‘Game on.’ We’re ready. We’re ready,” he said. “We’ve done our best to inform our voters and communicate with confidence in that process.”
Even though polling stations have prepared for this moment, there is still an air of uncertainty surrounding the start of polling.
Trump has repeatedly reportedas he did in previous elections, that only cheating can prevent him from winning, a tone that became more threatening as the vote approaches. Are repeated lies about the Presidential Election 2020 have sown broad distrust among Republicans in voting and counting the votes. At the same time, several Republican-led states laws have been passed since then who have made registration and voting more restrictive.
Alabama has started mail-in voting as the state introduces new restrictions about who can help a voter request such a ballot. Alabama is one of several Republican-led states imposing new restrictions on voter assistance.
The law makes it illegal to ballot by mail application form pre-filled with information such as the voter’s name or to return someone else’s application for a postal ballot.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said it “provides strong protections for Alabama voters from activists who profit from the postal election process.” But groups challenging the law said it “turns civic and community-based voter engagement into a serious crime.”
___
Associated Press editor Christina A. Cassidy in Detroit contributed to this report.