Voting in Georgia
Frequently Asked Questions
Voter Registration FAQ's
Check your registration on the My Voter Page.
You must be registered at least 30 days before an election to vote in that election. The deadline to register to vote in the November 8th General Election is October 11th.
The simplest way is to submit a new registration application. The county registrar will see your existing registration and update the information from the new application.
No, you will not be required to re-register if you didn’t vote in the last election. However, if you have not voted in the last five years and have not had contact with your county election office, your record may show that you are “inactive.” Check your registration and confirm your status on the My Voter Page.
Voting FAQ's
You will need to present a government-issued photo ID when you vote in person. You can use a valid driver’s license – even one that’s expired – a free state-issued ID, passport, military ID, student ID from a public college, or employee ID issued by a local, state, or federal government. You will also need identification if you vote by absentee ballot.
Visit the Georgia Voter Identification Requirements page for more information regarding acceptable forms of identification.
Yes, early voting in Georgia starts on October 17. Unlike Election Day, you do not have to vote at an assigned polling location during early voting. You may vote at any early voting location within your county. Find available early voting locations by visiting the Secretary of State’s website and selecting your county of residence from the list. You can also find available locations by logging into your My Voter Page and looking at your polling place information. If no information is available, it may be too early and you should check back closer to the early voting period.
You can see all of the candidates, occupations, and a link to their websites here. And you can see your sample ballot on My Voter Page.
You can see the early voting locations in your county and your assigned Election Day polling place on My Voter Page. During early voting, you can vote in any of your county’s early voting sites. On Election Day, you MUST vote in your assigned precinct.
The law requires that your county provide polling places that are accessible to people with disabilities. And Georgia’s paper-ballot voting system has adjustments to accommodate various disabilities. The machines have a headset so you can hear your choices read to you. They have large controls for people with limited mobility. And they can accommodate sip-and-puff devices.
Also, if you are visually impaired, you can use an app on your phone to read your ballot to you before you cast it. Before you leave the polling place, you are required to delete any photos of your ballot necessary to read it.
Lastly, any voter who is 75 years of age or older, or who is disabled and requires assistance in voting, may vote immediately at the next available voting compartment or booth without having to wait in line.
Refer to the Voting Assistance for People with Disabilities page for more information.
You can ask a poll worker for another ballot to correct a mistake before you cast it.
- If voting in person, simply ask a nearby poll worker
- If voting absentee, contact your county elections office about canceling your ballot and getting a new one.
If you are required to vote with a provisional ballot, you may be required to present documentation (ID, etc.) within three (3) days after the election to your County Elections Office to have your vote count. This is known as “curing” your ballot.
Call the Election Protection Hotline below if you have any questions or challenges.
Election Protection Hotlines:
ENGLISH 866-OUR-VOTE / 866-687-8683
ESPAÑOL/ENGLISH 888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682
Unless you are currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction in Georgia, you are likely eligible to vote. Check out the Georgia Justice Project to learn more and confirm your eligibility.
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, the most important thing for college students to know is that you should be registered to vote in the county and state where you plan to vote, whether that’s at school, home, or somewhere else. That will allow you to vote in person or by mail.
You may only register to vote in one state at a time. If you have a Georgia Driver’s License or State ID issued by Georgia and you are registered to vote in Georgia, you should check the Georgia My Voter Page for your specific information regarding upcoming elections. If you go to a public Georgia College or University, you can use your student ID to vote.
If you are registered to vote outside of Georgia, you should check your state’s election office website.
Absentee Voting FAQ's
Complete the absentee ballot application. Then submit the form via mail, fax, email (as an attachment), or in-person to the registrar office in the county where you are registered to vote
After your county registrar receives your application, the absentee ballot may be mailed to you as early as October 10. Your completed absentee ballot must be received by your local County Board of Registrar’s Office by the time polls close on November 8 in order to be counted
Contact your county elections office as soon as possible. They can issue you a new one or tell you how to cancel that absentee ballot so you can vote in person.
If it’s less than three weeks before Election Day, and you’re able to do so, please consider voting in person. With mail delivery delays, it is unlikely that you’ll receive your new ballot and be able to return it in time.
If you choose to vote in-person and have not contacted your County Elections Office, let the poll worker know that you never received your absentee ballot. The poll worker will need to contact the county to have your ballot canceled. You will also have to sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that you lost or never received your ballot. This can take a little time and the poll worker may need to ask the Poll Manager for assistance, so be prepared. Once your absentee ballot has been canceled, you should be able to proceed to vote on the voting machines.
Call the Election Protection Hotline below if you have any questions or challenges.
Election Protection Hotlines:
ENGLISH 866-OUR-VOTE / 866-687-8683
ESPAÑOL/ENGLISH 888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682
If you still have the absentee ballot, give it to the poll manager of your polling place, and you will be able to vote in person. If you have not received an absentee ballot, or if your completed absentee ballot has not been received by the registrar, you may cancel the absentee ballot by making a written request to have the ballot marked “canceled” and then the manager of your precinct shall permit you to vote in person.
However, if the ballot has been completed and received by the county registrar, then the absentee ballot has been officially cast and cannot be canceled. No other ballot shall be issued
Read and follow the instructions on the package carefully, and use only black or blue ink to mark your ballot. No pencil. Ballots with incomplete voter identification information or those that are incorrectly signed are at risk of being rejected.
Once your absentee ballot is filled out and correctly signed and dated, you can return your ballot by drop box, by mail, or in person. To return your ballot in person or find information about dropbox locations you can visit your county elections office. Regardless of how you return your absentee ballot, your county elections office must have your ballot by 7:00pm on Election Day to be counted, postmarks DO NOT count.
Contact your County Elections Office as soon as possible to find out why your ballot was rejected and what is required for your ballot to be counted. Hurry, you must complete this within three business days after the election date to have your ballot counted!
If you need additional assistance, call the Election Protection Hotline below.
Election Protection Hotline:
ENGLISH 866-OUR-VOTE / 866-687-8683
ESPAÑOL/ENGLISH 888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682
If you are 65 or older or disabled, you may (if you desire) complete one application and receive absentee ballots for the general primary, primary runoff, general, and general runoff elections.
Voters who qualify for Elderly or Disabled status need to reapply each calendar year within the 180 days prior to an Election.
A voter who has a disability or cannot read and write may get help when filling out the mail-in ballot application and the official absentee ballot.
The person helping the voter must sign an oath that is either printed on the mail-in ballot envelope or on the application for mail-in ballot, whichever is applicable.
Important Election Dates
Aug 22
thru
Oct 28
Absentee Ballot
Request Period
October
17
EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING STARTS
NOVEMber
4
November
8
GENERAL
ELECTION
Aug 22
thru
Oct 28
Absentee Ballot
Request Period
October
17
FIRST DAY TO
VOTE EARLY
NOVEMber
4
LAST DAY OF EARLY IN-PERSON
VOTING
November
8
GENERAL ELECTION