With concerns about in-person voting being less safe this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, many Georgians may opt to vote by absentee ballot instead.
Nearly 1.1 million absentee ballots were recorded in the state of Georgia during the June 9 primary.
Here is a guide to requesting and sending in your absentee ballot:
- Make sure you are registered to vote in the county you live in by Oct. 5.
- Request your absentee ballot as soon as possible. You will need a valid Georgia ID or driver’s license to request an absentee ballot.
- Fill out your absentee ballot application and submit online or directly to your county’s Board of Registrars office by mail, fax or in-person.
- Log in to Georgia’s My Voter Page to check on your absentee ballot’s status and see a sample ballot for your county.
- When your absentee ballot arrives, make sure you read the instructions carefully and mark every required field. Review the signature on your ID or driver’s license and sign your signature as legibly as possible. Mismatched signatures and missing information are common reasons for absentee ballot rejection.
- Mail your absentee ballot to your county’s election office as soon as possible. The United States Postal Service is asking that all absentee ballots be mailed at least two weeks prior to the Nov. 3 election. If you’re worried that your absentee ballot might not make it time through the mail, you can drop your ballot off at any of the absentee ballot drop boxes in your county.
Many people in metro Atlanta complained in the June 9 primary that they never received their absentee ballots. Follow the steps above and keep checking your ballot’s status at the My Voter Page.
