Absentee voting’s need has waned over the past 16 years due to the emergence of early voting, but it’s popularity has not. As our series explained, and as the local caregiver reminded, absentee voting applies to many categories of residents ... particularly the homebound elderly.
Just because one is immobile, doesn’t preclude one’s right to cast a ballot.
This is the value of absentee voting by mail. It is a time-tested right, an American privilege and a unique opportunity granted to those who cannot visit their polling place on election day or during any of the two-week period set aside for early voting.
Deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for the upcoming Aug. 5 Bradley County General and State Primary elections is July 29. If you would like additional information about this right, contact the Bradley County Election Commission Office at 728-7115 or visit their website at www.bradleyelections.com. You may submit your request for an absentee ballot by mailing the appropriate information to Bradley County Election Commission, 155 Broad St. NW, Cleveland, TN 37311.
For those who might have missed our series, the Banner is pleased to reprint the list of categories for those eligible to vote absentee. They include:
- The voter’s licensed physician has filed a statement with the Election Commission stating that, in the physician’s judgment, the voter is medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than five days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury. It must be notarized.
- The voter resides in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter’s county of residence.
- The voter will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court.
- The voter is 65 year s of age or older.
- The voter has a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
- The voter is hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and because of such condition cannot vote in person.
- The voter is a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill or disabled.
- The voter is a candidate for office in the election.
- The voter serves as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
- The voter’s observance of a religious holiday prevents him or her from voting in person during the early voting period and on election day.
- The voter possesses a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) and certifies he/she will be working outside the state or county of registration during early voting and on election day.
n The voter is a member of the military or is an overseas citizen.
And don’t forget ... early voting starts Friday and extends through July 31!
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Planning to vote early? State Election Coordinator Mark Goins believes early voting will be heavy statewide. He projects 45 to 50 percent of those who vote will do so during the early voting period. He believes the gubernatorial race and three open congressional seats are driving voter interest.
