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Absentee voting for the Nov. 3 election is under way.

Any registered Alabama voter is allowed to apply in person, receive and vote absentee in any of the state’s 67 counties.

That’s out of the norm, too.

In a normal election year, voters are only allowed to vote absentee if they are going to be out of the county on the specific election day or if they are sick, disabled or working on election day or if they are incarcerated.

But for 2020, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has allowed the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons voters can vote absentee.

Merrill said in a press release that he encourages those who are concerned about contracting or spreading the coronavirus to apply for and cast an absentee ballot.

Merrill said all one has to do is check the box on the application that says, “is ill or has a physical disability.”

For the November 3 General Election, the deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 19, the deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is Thursday, October 29, the deadline to return an absentee ballot to the Absentee Election Manager is the close of business Monday, November 2, and the last day to postmark an absentee ballot is Monday, November 2.

Statewide, some counties have reported a heavy influx of requests for absentee ballots.

In Butler County, Mindy Bush, who helps with the absentee ballots, said that they have so far only seen the regular amount of absentee ballots requested, but they have received quite a few phone calls from people who are concerned about COVID-19.

She said they are preparing for the potential of an influx in the county.