First general election mail-in ballots go out to voters in Alabama

The first mail-in ballots for the November election went out on Wednesday to absentee voters in Alabama.

North Carolina was supposed to be the first state to send out absentee ballots for the general election, but was delayed over a lawsuit from the Kennedy campaign that sought to remove him from the state ballot. The state Supreme Court approved the request to remove him on Monday, and election officials will now have until Sept. 21 to send out the reprinted ballots.

Alabama voters who requested absentee ballots will be allowed to return the ballots at any point before Election Day once they receive the forms, according to NBC News. But only voters in select categories can qualify for the absentee ballots, including those who are working on Election Day, voters who live overseas, or those who will be out of the county for a different reason.

Voters who qualify for absentee status can still request a mail-in ballot in person through the circuit clerk as of Wednesday.

Presidential candidates on the Alabama ballot include former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and Libertarian Chase Oliver.

Election officials in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky,  Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming will begin sending mail ballots later this month.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.