Alabama Voter registration online

Voter registration records have long been used by genealogists – most often considered as an added proof of residence in a community, but also useful in establishing length of that residence and nativity. The Alabama Department of Archives and History has been posting the 1867 Alabama Voter Registrations for some time. It’s a major project, as there are a total of 131 volumes to index and digitize prior to posting. The last update was done on December 18, 2008.

The records are especially important, as numerous African-Americans are found here as free men for the first time. Note that Confederate veterans will not be found on this registration (see below).

The following counties are currently posted in their entirety: Washington, Wilcox, Winston, Walker, Tuscaloosa, Tallapoosa, Talladega, Sumter, St. Clair, Shelby, Russell, Randolph, Pike, Pickens, Perry, Macon, Madison, Morgan, Marion, Mobile, Marshall, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Limestone and Hale Counties.

It is stated on the website that severe mold damage has taken place on the books for Dallas; Franklin; Lauderdale; Limestone; Lowndes; Monroe; Randolph; and Washington counties. For this reason, some data may be missing. Note that Dallas and Franklin county information has not yet been posted.

The following information dealing with the history surrounding the 1867 Alabama Voter registrations is directly from the site itself:

The Alabama 1867 voter registration records were created as a direct result of a Reconstruction Act passed by the United States Congress on March 23, 1867. The act required the commanding officer in each military district to hold, before September 1, 1867, a registration of all male citizens, 21 years and older, in each county who were also qualified to vote and who had taken the loyalty oath. (See for full text of the act.) Each registrant visited the local registration office, took the oath, and was listed in the Voter Registration record. The companion volumes to the voter registration records are the Loyalty Oaths (also available at the ADAH).