Section 17-11-4 - Form and contents of application; signature of applicant; filing of application(a) The application required in Section 17-11-3 shall be in a form prescribed and designed by the Secretary of State and shall be used throughout the state. The application form shall contain and require all of the following:(1) That the applicant submit sufficient information to identify the applicant. (2) The applicant's name, residence address, and such other information as necessary to verify that the applicant is a registered voter. (3) A list of all felonies of moral turpitude, as provided in Section 17-3-30.1 , and a requirement that the applicant declare that he or she is not barred from voting because of a disqualifying felony conviction or, if the applicant was convicted of a disqualifying felony, that the applicant's right to vote has been restored.(4) An explanation of penalties for violations of this section.(b)(1) Any applicant may receive assistance in filling out the application as he or she desires, but each application shall be manually signed by the applicant, under penalty of perjury, and if he or she signs by mark, the application shall also include the name of the witness and the witness's signature .(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly distribute an absentee ballot application to a voter that is prefilled with the voter's name or any other information required on the application form.(c)(1) Completed applications may be submitted to the absentee election manager in any of the following ways, as further provided by rule of the Secretary of State:a. The applicant delivering the application in person.b. The applicant mailing the application by U.S. mail .c. The applicant sending the application by commercial carrier.(2) Except in situations governed by Section 17-11-3(f), it shall be unlawful for an individual to submit a completed absentee ballot application to the absentee election manager other than his or her own application, except that an application for a voter who requires emergency treatment by a licensed physician within five days before an election pursuant to Section 17-11-3 may be submitted to the absentee election manager by an individual designated by the applicant.(d)(1) Except in situations governed by Section 17-11-3(f), it shall be unlawful for a third party to knowingly receive a payment or gift for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, prefilling, obtaining, or delivering a voter's absentee ballot application. Any person who violates this subdivision shall be guilty of a Class C felony.(2) Except in situations governed by Section 17-11-3(f), it shall be unlawful for a person to knowingly pay or provide a gift to a third party to distribute, order, request, collect, prefill, complete, obtain, or deliver a voter's absentee ballot application. Any person who violates this subdivision shall be guilty of a Class B felony.(e) Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by an individual of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union.(f) Voters voting by absentee ballot through the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act are not subject to this section. The Secretary of State shall provide applications for absentee voting to military and overseas voters in accordance with Section 17-4-35.Ala. Code § 17-11-4 (1975)
Amended by Act 2024-33,§ 1, eff. 3/20/2024.Amended by Act 2019-507,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2019.Acts 1975, No. 1147, p. 2251, §2; Acts 1978, No. 616, p. 873, §2; Acts 1980, No. 80-732, p. 1478, §1; Acts 1994, No. 94-320, p. 553, §1; Acts 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 96-885, p. 1699, §2; Act 2003-313, p. 733, §2; §17-10-4; amended and renumbered by Act 2006-570, p. 1331, §52.Act 2024-33§ 2provides that unless a penalty is otherwise specified, a knowing violation of Chapter 11 of Title 17, Code of Alabama 1975, is a Class A misdemeanor.