Absentee Voting By Mail

If a registered voter is unable to vote in person either at the Election Commission during early voting or at his/her polling precinct on election day, he/she may vote by mail. The voter must apply for an absentee ballot and must cite a valid legal reason for doing so.

Who is eligible to vote by mail?

You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.
• You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
• You are on the permanent absentee list.
• You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
• You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.
• You are sixty (60) years of age or older.
• You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
• You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote (this includes persons who have underlying medical or health conditions which in their determination render them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or at greater risk should they contract it). For a list of underlying health conditions that makes a person more susceptible, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
• You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled (this includes caretakers for persons who have underlying medical or health conditions which in their determination render them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or at greater risk should they contract it). For a list of underlying health conditions that makes a person more susceptible, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
• You are a candidate for office in the election.
• You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
• You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.
• You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
• You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.

How Do I Apply To Vote By Mail?

You must submit a request to vote by mail to the Montgomery County Election Commission in writing. You may mail, fax or email the completed form to the office. If emailing the document, it must be completed, signed, then scanned and attached to an email. A simple email requesting a ballot is not sufficient to serve as the application. You may write out your request on any piece of paper, or you may print out a pre-formatted Absentee Ballot Request.

You must include the following information in your request:

• Name (as registered)
• Residence Address in Montgomery County
• Mailing Address
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Election and Election Date
• Reason for Voting Absentee (If you are a commercial driver, please attach a copy of your CDL. If you are a riverboat worker, please attach a copy of your TWIC)
• For primary elections, include a party preference
• Voter Signature

You must apply to vote by mail in this way separately for each election that you will need to vote absentee.

** If you will need to vote by mail in every election due to medical reasons, you may be eligible to become a Permanent Absentee Voter.

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When Should I Apply To Vote By Mail?

The Election Commission will accept your request to vote by mail as early as ninety (90) days and as late as close of Business seven (7) days before any election.

Please keep in mind that voting by mail takes some time. The Election office must mail your ballot, you must complete and return your ballot by mail, and the Election office must receive your completed ballot on or before the Polls close at 7:00 p.m. on Election Day for your vote to count (an Election-Day postmark is not sufficient). Please plan the timing of your request accordingly.