Absentee and mail-in voting are how Alabamians can early vote this election. No-excuse early voting is against Alabama state law.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, some kind of early voting is allowed in 43 states, including Alabama. However, only 34 states plus Washington D.C. have no-excuse early voting.

It has some people questioning, why not Alabama?

"It doesn't work in Alabama because it's against the law," Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said.

Merrill says without it, more people are still taking part in Alabama's form of early voting than ever before.

"We've actually had 286,000 absentee ballot applications successfully submitted and more than 221,000 absentee ballots successfully returned," Merrill said.

Merrill said if lawmakers decided to include no-excuse early voting, it would cost the state more money, and would not make a huge impact on voter turnout.

"It should be noted that currently for the sixth consecutive election, we have broken records for voter participation with the way the laws are currently amended and the administration of the election in its current form," Merrill said.

However, voting activist Fred Whitlow II believes lawmakers should continue to expand voting access. He has been working all summer and fall to get people registered to vote and has witnessed first-hand how early voting options help encourage people to take part.

"The majority of our country is doing it, the majority of those engaged are finding success," Whitlow said. "Not only that, but there's not only more participation, but there are more resources."

It is a change both Republicans and Democrats can get behind. Limestone County Republican Party Chairman Noah Wahl said the local party does not have an official stance on the issue, but he personally would support changes in order to make voting easier for people.

The Madison County Democratic Chairman and State Representative, Anthony Daniels, feels the same.

In fact, he said Representative Thomas "Action" Jackson introduced a bill expanding early voting, but it never made its way to a committee.

However, both Merrill and Gov. Kay Ivey insist Alabama's voting process works the way it is.

"Why would you want everybody to pay for the convenience for a few?" Merrill said.

Come Nov. 3, employers in Alabama are required to allow their employees to have time off in order to vote. The employee just has to give reasonable notice and they have up to an hour to vote.

For more information on absentee ballot voting, click here.