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By J.R. TIDWELL / Editor

Absentee voting will be available for the Aug. 20 special election for House District 42.

There are several requirements registered voter who needs to vote absentee may apply through Aug. 15 at the circuit clerk’s office located at the courthouse in Room 304.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

For those unable to visit the office in person, a request form may be filled out to have an absentee ballot mailed to them.

According to the Office of the Alabama Secretary of State, “To obtain an absentee ballot, write or visit the local absentee election manager (usually the circuit clerk), request an absentee ballot, and provide the following:

• Name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration)
• Election for which the ballot is requested
• Address to which the ballot should be mailed
• Voter signature (If a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed.)

“The absentee ballot application must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager by the voter in person (or by the voter’s designee in the case of medical emergency voting) or by U.S. Mail. No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter’s absentee ballot application.”

The absentee election manager for Chilton County is Glenn McGriff, who can be reached at (205) 755-4275.

According to a press release from McGriff, there are several requirements that allow for voting absentee, and one of the following must be met:

• The person will be out of the county or state on election day.
• The person has a physical illness or infirmity which prevents attendance at the polls.
• The person works a shift of at least 10 hours that coincides with the hours the polls are open at his or her regular polling place.
• The person is enrolled as a student in a location outside the county.
• The person is a member or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and is on active duty or training.

Absentee ballot applications are also available online at sos.alabama.gov.