Just a month away from the primary election, Mary Louise Daniels found herself without the valid photo ID necessary to vote.
So she called Troy councilwoman Dejerilyn King Henderson for help. And she got a ride to the courthouse and help with the application process.
“I like to be active in the process and I’m always interested in what’s going on in my city, county and state,” Daniels said. “This is a very good thing and they need to get out a lot more information about it.”
Until speaking to her council member, Daniels said she was not aware the free identification was available in Troy.
However, those days are dwindling.
When the registrar’s office reopens Tuesday, prospective voters will have five business days before the June 3 primary elections to obtain a free Alabama Voter ID card or some sort of valid photo identification necessary to cast a vote.
The ID is mailed to the voter’s residence within seven to 10 days of applying for it. It may not arrive in time for the June 3 primary, but Pike County Registrar Benny Scarbrough said the office provides temporary photo IDs
“If you don’t have your regular ID by then and you have that temporary ID, that would be fine as long as it’s valid,” he said.
The temporary identification is valid for 45 days.
This year’s primary will be the first election to require voters to present photo ID since the state Legislature passed a bill mandating it.
Voters who come to the polls without valid identification will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot unless two election officials can verify the voter is registered in their precinct. Scarbrough said not to let that deter you from voting.
“People need to get out and vote,” he said. “It’s an important responsibility that we have.”
Primary elections traditionally draw a smaller crowd than general elections, but Scarbrough said it was just as important.
“The primaries lead to a general election and the general elections lead to changes. The only way that’ll happen is if people vote,” he said.
Scarbrough said the provisional ballots would come to his office where he and the county’s other registrars will hold a quorum and look over the information in question.
Because the registrars play an active role on Election Day, their office will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Registrar’s office is located in the basement of the Pike County Courthouse and it will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the days leading up to the election.
Henderson said she would continue carrying people to apply for the new voter IDs.
“This to me is the democratic process,” she said. “And the democratic process involves everyone 18 and over voting.”