Skip to content
Democracy SENTRY
Voting in your state

Voting in Alabama, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowElection Day in Alabama is Tuesday, November 3.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 19 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 19, 2026, 15 days before Election Day, whether online, in person or by mail postmarked that day.1
  2. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Mailed absentee ballots must be received by noon on Election Day, and hand delivered ballots by 5 p.m. on Monday November 2, 2026.1
  3. Fri, Nov 13 · 17 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    County canvassing boards meet at noon on the second Friday after the election, November 13.2
  4. Wed, Nov 25 · 29 days
    State canvass; State certification
    The statewide canvass must be complete 22 days after the election, by November 25.2
  5. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest for a state legislative seat must be filed in circuit court within 20 days after the results are certified, and a contest for a state constitutional office within 10 days after the Speaker of the House announces the results.3

Questions people ask about voting in Alabama

Q. Can I vote early in Alabama?

Alabama does not offer in-person early voting.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Alabama?

Register by Monday October 19, 2026, 15 days before Election Day, whether online, in person or by mail postmarked that day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Alabama?

Absentee applications must be received by Thursday October 29, 2026 if delivered in person, or by Tuesday October 27, 2026 if sent by mail.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Alabama?

Mailed absentee ballots must be received by noon on Election Day, and hand delivered ballots by 5 p.m. on Monday November 2, 2026.

Q. Who certifies the election in Alabama, and by when?

The county canvassing board, made up of the probate judge, the circuit clerk and the sheriff, tallies the precinct results and sends them to the Secretary of State. County canvassing boards must finish the canvass by the second Friday after the election, November 13, 2026. At least two of the three members of the state canvassing board certify results. The Secretary of State then has an independent 10-day window to issue congressional certificates. The state certifies the results by Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

Q. What happens after the count in Alabama, and when is there a recount?

A recount is automatic when the margin is one half of one percent or less, and it begins within 72 hours after the canvassing board certifies. A petitioned recount must be requested within 48 hours after the county canvass, and the petitioner pays unless the recount changes the outcome.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Alabama?

A contest for a state legislative seat must be filed in circuit court within 20 days after the results are certified, and a contest for a state constitutional office within 10 days after the Speaker of the House announces the results.

Explore this issue

OverviewVoting in your state

Sources

  1. Vote.org, Alabama Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/alabama/
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  4. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  5. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/
  6. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

Ask

Have a question about voting in Alabama?

Ask it here. If we do not have the answer yet, we will find it.