We are just hours away from the most anticipated election in America’s modern history. On Nov. 3, Alabama voters will have the opportunity to elect pro-worker candidates up and down the ballot.
As president of the Alabama AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor federation, our choice in August to endorse Joe Biden for president and Sen. Doug Jones for re-election in the United States Senate could not have been more clear. Our country is facing a crisis on three major fronts: a public health pandemic, an economic free fall and long-standing structural racism. Here in Alabama, working people’s hopes and aspirations are intertwined with the outcome of this election.
Alabamians, your vote is essential. We need to elect leaders who will serve us, not themselves. We have suffered for far too long and simply cannot afford to sit this one out.
Across the country, more than 80 million Americans have already voted — a number which exceeds half of the number of votes counted during the entire 2016 presidential election. Unfortunately, Alabama does not offer an early voting period. Instead, we’re breaking ground with a record 200,000 absentee ballot requests.
According to Secretary of State John Merrill, by the time all votes are counted, an estimated 68 and 75 percent of Alabama voters will have cast their ballots. While these numbers are groundbreaking compared to past election cycles, I know they could be even higher.
We are down to the wire, and if you do not have a plan to vote yet, you must make one now.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot was Thursday, Oct. 29. If you have received your ballot but have not cast it yet, it must be postmarked no later than Nov. 1. Your ballot can also be hand-delivered to an absentee election manager by close of business on Nov. 2.
Not sure where to go? Check here on the Secretary of State website for a list of addresses, sorted by county.
If you mailed your absentee ballot, but want to check its status, you can track it here.
If you choose to vote in-person on Nov. 3, make sure you wear a face mask and bring a valid, state-issued photo ID. If you need to check your polling location, do so here.
If you still do not have a plan to vote, make one as soon as possible that is safe and best for you here.
And if you have any other questions, you can always call the Alabama Democratic Party’s Voter Protection Hotline at 833-468-6832.
With so much at stake in this election, every vote counts. Both Jones and Biden have proven time and time again that they are willing to work with anyone to save lives and livelihoods.
Alabama’s working people deserve better, and on Nov. 3, we have the opportunity to make it truly great.
