Alabama begins voting process, first ballots are already in the mail

Alabama voters are already receiving the first ballots for the general election of 2024. This marks the start of the early voting process, allowing those who applied to vote absentee to cast their ballots weeks before the official election day, which will be Nov. 5.

Absentee voting process in Alabama

Alabama requires voters who wish to vote by mail to provide justification, such as being out of the county on election day or having work obligations that prevent them from voting in person. If voters meet either of those requirements, they can go to the circuit clerk's office to apply and cast their early ballot starting this Wednesday.

The state, known for its Republican leanings, is not traditionally a place with high rates of absentee voting. In the 2022 election, only about 45,000 voters (roughly 3% of all ballots) voted this way. However, Alabama becomes the first state to begin the voting process for the 2024 election, with only 55 days to go until the key date.

North Carolina faces delays in mailing ballots

While Alabama moves forward, in North Carolina the voting process was delayed due to a lawsuit brought by former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove his name from the ballot. After dropping his candidacy and endorsing former President Donald Trump, Kennedy sought his removal from the ballot in key states, including North Carolina. The state Supreme Court ruled in his favor, which will force authorities to reprint millions of ballots before they can be mailed out.

Unlike North Carolina, Kennedy's name will still appear on ballots in Alabama.

Voting in other states

In the coming weeks, more than a dozen states will join Alabama in sending out ballots, including Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In-person early voting will also begin in Virginia on Sept. 20, marking the first state to begin voting in significant numbers.