Early voting began this week for Georgia’s May 21 general primary election – and if you want to vote by mail, the deadline to request an absentee ballot is fast approaching. Your county’s Board of Elections and Registration Office must receive your ballot application form by May 10.
Here’s what you need to know about voting by mail in the May 21 primary.
- You need to be registered to vote and have a valid form of identification, such as a driver’s license or voter identification card.
- You’ll need to fill out an absentee ballot application. You can do that online through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office website. Or print out the statewide absentee ballot application form and submit it to your county’s Board of Elections and Registration Office.
- You can choose to receive either a Democratic, Republican or non-partisan ballot. That will determine which candidates and ballot questions you can vote on.
- Remember that your county’s Board of Elections and Registration Office must receive your absentee ballot application by May 10. You can deliver it in person, by email, mail, or fax. For contact information, check the website for your county’s elections office..
Once you submit your absentee ballot application, you should receive a ballot by mail for the May 21 general primary.
⇒ Use our Georgia Decides interactive voter guide to find out what races will be on your ballot and learn about each candidate. Atlanta Civic Circle and our partner The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked over 800 candidates statewide to share their stances on key issues through our candidate questionnaires.
Your ballot will be mailed to you with instructions, an inner white envelope and a return envelope. Be sure to follow the marking instructions to fill out your ballot. Use the provided envelopes to avoid your ballot being deemed invalid.
You must submit your absentee ballot before the polls close on May 21. Here’s how:
- Use a designated secure drop box. To find drop box locations in your county, check with your county’s elections office. (The number of drop boxes has been reduced under the state’s new voting laws, but every county has at least one.)
- Early voting locations also have drop boxes.Find your county’s early voting locations here.
- Drop your ballot at your local voting precinct on election day. To determine your polling location, use the My Voter Page on the Secretary of State’s website.
- Hand deliver or mail your ballot to your county’s election office. Your ballot must arrive by election day on May 21, so be sure to mail it at least three days in advance – the time it typically takes for U.S. mail to arrive at an address within the state – if not sooner. And use correct postage; a first-class stamp costs $0.68.
If your ballot is rejected, your county elections office should contact you and give you the option to “cure” – or correct your ballot envelope.
You can track the status of your absentee ballot using the My Voter Page. For more information on absentee voting, check the Secretary of State’s website.
