How to vote by mail or vote early in Georgia
How to vote by mail or vote early in Georgia
Did you know you can request a Georgia absentee ballot starting 180 days before an election? That means you can request your ballot RIGHT NOW and avoid the long lines we saw in the primary!
Step 1: Apply for your absentee ballot
To request your mail-in ballot in Georgia, you have three options:
1. Complete, print, and sign (by hand, no digital signatures!) this form: https://sos.ga.gov/admin/files/Absentee%20Ballot%20Fillable%20form%20720.pdf
NOTE: If you want the ballot sent to the address where you are registered, do not fill out Section 3 of this form.
2. If you do not have a printer, you can submit a written request for an absentee ballot by providing the following information:
Your name
Date of birth
Registration address
Temporary out of county address to which the ballot should be sent (If you want the ballot sent to the address where you are registered, specify that you want it sent to your registration address)
Type of election (presidential preference primary, general primary, primary runoff, municipal, municipal runoff, special, general, general runoff)
Name of party ballot being requested (for primaries)
Date of election
Your signature including the date of the request (or the dated signature and noted relationship of the person requesting the ballot on your behalf
3. Contact your county registrar in the county where you are registered to vote. You can find your registrar by selecting your county in the dropdown menu here: https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/countyregistrars.do
Once you've completed your Georgia mail-in ballot request form, you have 4 options for returning it to your County Registrar Board’s office:
Mail it
Fax it
Email it as an attachment
Drop it off in person
You can find your registrar’s address, fax number, email, and office location by selecting your county in the dropdown menu here: https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/countyregistrars.do
NOTE: I searched 3 different Georgia websites and could not find the deadline for applying, but they let you start NOW, so just go ahead and DO IT NOW!
Step 2: Vote and return your ballot
The earliest day that registrars will begin to send out Georgia mail-in ballots is September 15th.
Once you receive your Georgia absentee ballot, follow the instructions that your county elections official provides with your ballot carefully to make sure it will be counted. You will receive all the forms and envelopes necessary for marking and returning the ballot.
If you registered by mail in Georgia and did not submit a copy of one of the required forms of voter ID, you will receive notification with your ballot package, and will have to submit a copy of your acceptable form of voter ID.
Place a CLEAR, complete copy of your voter ID in the OUTER envelope of your mail-in ballot package. [Protip: If you have access to a color printer, send a color copy. It’s easier to read and harder for election officials to reject.]
Acceptable forms of Georgia voter ID can be found here: https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/georgia_voter_identification_requirements2
If you submit an absentee ballot that requires voter ID in Georgia, but you do not include a copy of your voter ID, you have 3 DAYS after you submit your vote (not after election day-- after you submit your ballot) to get proof of your voter ID to the county registrar
A Georgia mail-in ballot must be received (not just postmarked!) by the county registrar no later than Nov 3rd.
You have 2 options for returning your Georgia mail-in ballot:
Mail it to your county registrar’s office
Must be mail U.S. first class mail-- NO UPS, FedEx, etc.
MAKE SURE TO ADD POSTAGE! Georgia does not pay for it, and your ballot will be returned without it
Drop it off in person at your county registrar’s office
You can find your registrar’s address by selecting your county in the dropdown menu here: https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/countyregistrars.do
Step 3: Check the status of your ballot
Once you submit your Georgia mail-in ballot, make sure to check its status here: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Log in (or register if you haven't, yet) and find the box labeled Absentee Ballot Request Information to check your absentee ballot status
If your ballot is rejected, call your county registrar ASAP to find out what your options are. You can find their number here: https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/countyregistrars.do
If your Georgia absentee ballot is rejected, you will NOT be notified. It is up to you to check on its status until it is confirmed
NOTE: Georgia has a history of contesting a lot of ballots for potentially bogus reasons (signatures that "don't match," voter ID challenged, address is "wrong", etc.).
CHECK YOUR BALLOT STATUS UNTIL IT IS CONFIRMED AS ACCEPTED!
ALTERNATIVE: Early voting
You may also vote early in person starting Oct 12
Starting on Oct 12, you can find out where and what times your early voting polling place is open by selecting your county from the dropdown menu here: https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/advancedVotingInfo.do
If you are voting early in person in Georgia, you will need to provide an acceptable voter ID. For a list of acceptable voter IDs, visit https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/georgia_voter_identification_requirements2
If you do not have voter ID with you when you go to the polls, you have 3 DAYS after you submit your vote you have 3 DAYS after you submit your vote (not after election day-- after you submit your ballot) to get proof of your voter ID to the county registrar
For more information on voting in Georgia, including voter registration go to https://georgia.gov/voting
