Ready or not, election day is creeping up on us and will be Nov. 5. Before that, there may be a few items of business to get out of the way so the voting process goes smoothly. Here are a few items to consider.

 Register to Vote

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 21.

Register online to vote here.

Locally, Jefferson County residents can register at the Birmingham or Bessemer courthouses and libraries. Here is a complete list of those locations. Voter registration drives also will be taking place throughout the area.

If you are unsure whether you’re registered or which polling place you should go to, you can find that on this Secretary of State’s Office site.

The Ballot

Here is the Jefferson County Sample Ballot.

Sample ballots for other counties can be found here.

If you’re unsure which districts you vote in, find that on another SOS site here.

Your Registration, Districts

Usure whether you’re registered to vote, where you should vote or which races will be on your ballot?

Look up your information.

Absentee Voting

You can vote absentee in Alabama for a limited number of reasons that fall into two categories, infirmity and absence.

People who will be out of the county on the day of the election can vote by absentee. This includes Jefferson County residents who live elsewhere but vote in the county, such as if they are in the military and deployed or students attending school out of the county.

People who are have a physical infirmity that does not allow them to go to the polls and their caregivers who also are relatives also may apply for an absentee ballot.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 29. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in person is Oct. 31.

Absentee ballots must be returned to the circuit clerk’s office by Nov. 4. Mail-in ballots received in that office before noon on election day also will be counted.

 At the Polls

Election day is Nov. 5. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the state.

You must show a valid photo ID at the polls before you’re allowed to vote. Several different documents will be accepted as ID at the polls, from a driver’s license to a student ID. If you don’t have one of the IDs, you should be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. If you don’t have one of the accepted IDs, you can apply for a voter photo ID from the county Board of Registrars. What ID do you need?