An image of a woman reaching for a roll of stickers that say “I Voted” is shown. Credit: Lorie Shaull from Wikimedia Commons
Oct. 20 is the last day Alabamians can register
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Sept. 26, 2026) – With Election Day drawing near, Americans prepare to cast their ballots by Nov. 3 by making sure they’re registered, researching candidates and getting their absentee ballots.
Unfortunately, many people may not vote this year simply because they lack information about the midterm elections.
Information about whether or not they are actually still registered, what district they are voting in, and other such issues can prove to be real barriers for Americans, and more locally to Alabamians who want to do their civic duty.
A 2025 study from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement indicated that approximately 31% of young Americans (ages 18-29) neglected to vote in the 2024 election citing lack of time or information as the primary reason for abstaining.
This number is even more concerning because only 47% of those younger Americans voted in the 2024 presidential election, a 3% decline from the 2020 election, four years ago.
Given that global conflicts are on the rise as reported in June by NPR, citizens have less confidence in the U.S. economy than in President Trump’s first term, according to a Sept. 8 story in the Wall Street Journal. As Americans are faced with an ever-changing political landscape, it is arguably now one of the most important times for Alabamians to use their vote to influence the future.
Because of this, the AUMnibus is here to inform our Alabama readers about how they can ensure they get the chance to make their opinions heard this November.
The first and potentially most important thing is to know when Election Day is held. According to the U.S. Code § 7, midterm and presidential elections are to be held “The Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November.”
This year, the first Monday is Nov. 2, and therefore Election Day this year is Nov. 3. In the 2028 presidential elections, the first Monday is Nov. 6, and so the election that year will be on Nov. 7.
Getting Registered to Vote
In order to vote in Alabama, you must first be registered. According to the Alabama Secretary of State website, one must meet a few criteria to be eligible to register to vote:
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You must be a resident of Alabama.
- You must not be disqualified from voting because of a felony (or have your rights restored thereafter).
- You must not have been declared “mentally incompetent” by a court.
If you meet these criteria, you can register to vote online via Alabamainteractive.org, in person at a number of voting registration sites which can be found on the Voter Registration General Information page of the Alabama Secretary of State website or, by mailing the State of Alabama Voter Registration Form to your local Board of Registrars county office or in person.
A full list of counties and office addresses for the Board of Registrars can be found at sos.alabama.gov
For our readers who are students at AUM, the university offers a bevy of resources to ensure that you can vote.
There are voter registration machines sponsored by the city of Montgomery in the Taylor Center just outside of the bookstore and next to the helpdesk where you can register to vote.
There are also voter registration forms in the Center for Disability Services in the Taylor Center Room 174 and AUM’s website has a voter registration page with lots of information on what services the university provides for students who want to vote.
If you are unsure if you are registered as an active voter (as voter rolls do sometimes get purged), you can confirm your registration status, polling location and registered address through the Alabama Secretary of State polling place search.
Importantly, in Alabama the deadline to register to vote is 14 days before the election, which means that Oct. 20 is the last day that residents can get on the active voter roll.
Where to Vote
Now that we have covered how and when you can vote, it is important that we cover where to vote in more detail.
Alabama has seven congressional districts, and citizens vote in the district where their permanent residence is located, which means a few things for AUM students living on campus.
If you are an out-of-state student, then your permanent residence is likely in whatever state you are from, so check your secretary of state’s website to find out more.
For in-state campus residents, AUM is likely also not your permanent address, and instead it will be your home address.
An interactive map can be found on the Alabama Redistricting Plans webpage to help voters find their district, and the Secretary of State website has a polling place search tool that can find the nearest polling location to your residence.
Prepare Before Election Day
As a final note on your pre-Election Day preparation, it is important to ensure you actually have the time to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Election Day is not a federally recognized holiday, and many people do not get the day off from work or school.
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the Alabama Office of the Secretary of State, so people can still vote after work, but people may have multiple jobs or other responsibilities that might conflict with their plans to go vote.
Because of this, it is advisable to ask for time off work or an excused absence for university classes on Nov. 3, if you foresee any potential conflicts.
What to Bring to the Polls
Come Election Day, it is important to come prepared, and as such, there are a few things to bring with you when you leave the house.
Firstly, in order to vote in Alabama, residents must present a valid form of photo ID. This includes a valid driver’s license, U.S. passport, student or employee ID (though, I would hesitate to use your AUM student ID if it is particularly damaged, scratched or faded), as stated by the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Voters are allowed to bring sample ballots to their polling locations, should they wish to study up on who is running for office prior to entering to vote. So printing a sample ballot listing the candidates or saving a copy to your phone or other mobile device is advisable.
Speaking of phones, voters are allowed to bring their mobile devices into their polling place. If you had notes on particular candidates or some other reason to use your phone while voting, that is allowed. But, importantly, phones must be silenced and any cameras or recording functions of those devices must be turned off while inside a polling location.
The last thing I would recommend bringing on Election Day is some water. Depending on both where you are voting at and when you actually decide to go and vote, you could have to deal with practically no wait time or a line that takes over an hour.
The last thing anyone wants to do is stand in line for an hour in the Alabama heat at noon, so while it is not the most important item on this short list, it could definitely prove to be a wise decision.
And that is just about all of the information you will need to cast your ballot this November.
It is the civic duty of all Americans to make their voice heard, and there are few better ways to do that than by using your freedom to choose who represents you in government.
