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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Georgia

Eligibility

  • Age: Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote
  • Currently or formerly incarcerated individuals: Individuals convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while in prison, on parole, or on probation
  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Residence: Must be a legal resident of the county in which you are voting
  • College students can either vote absentee in their home state or register to vote in Georgia
  • Check to see if you are already registered

More information on Georgia voter eligibility

Deadline

Online registration

To use the Online Voter Registration system, you must have a valid driver’s license or identification card issued by GA Department of Driver Services (DDS) with signature on file with DDS. You may use this system to (1) Register to vote in Georgia or (2) change your name and/or address on your current registration record. 

If you do not have a valid driver’s license or identification card, the Online Voter Registration system will walk you through how to manually submit a paper registration.

Mail-in registration

Printable form (English PDF) or follow the instructions to manually submit a paper form in the Online Voter Registration system.

Refer to the box below for information on ID requirements.

Other options

You can go to your local county board of registrars' office or election office, public library, public assistance office, recruitment office, schools, and other government offices for a mail-in registration form.

Registration is offered when you renew or apply for your driver's license at Department of Driver Services.

College students can obtain Georgia voter registration forms, or the necessary forms to register in any state in the U.S., from their school registrar's office or from the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Updating registration      

To make changes to your current registration record, log in to the Online Voter Registration system, which can also be accessed via My Voter Page.

Changes can also be made via the mail-in application.

Cancelling registration

Contact your local county registrar's office to cancel your registration.

ID Requirements for Georgia Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

To use the Online Voter Registration system, you must have a valid driver’s license or identification card issued by GA Department of Driver Services (DDS) with a signature on file with DDS.

Mail-in Registration

An ID is not required for mail-in registration if you provide one of the following:

  • Your full GA Drivers License number or GA State issued ID number, or
  • The last 4 digits of your Social Security number

If you are submitting a registration form by mail and are registering for the first time in Georgia, you are required to submit proof of residence either with your registration form or when you vote for the first time. Proof of residence includes one of the following:

  • A copy of a current and valid photo ID,or
  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

You are exempt from this requirement if you are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or if you provide your Georgia driver's license/ID number (or the last four digits of your social security number if you do not have a driver's license/ID) on your registration form and your identifying information is verified with a state database.

ID Requirements for Voting 

Georgia law requires Georgia residents to provide photo identification when voting in person or by mail.

What IDs are acceptable?

  • A Georgia Driver's License, even if expired
  • Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free ID Card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
  • Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state
  • Valid U.S. passport ID
  • Valid U.S. military photo ID
  • Valid tribal photo ID

Georgia's Voter Identification Card
If you do not have one of the six acceptable forms of photo ID, the State of Georgia offers a free ID Card. An ID card can be issued at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office free of charge.

To receive a voter identification card, the voter must provide:

  • A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes full legal name and date of birth
  • Documentation showing the voter's date of birth
  • Evidence that the applicant is a registered voter
  • Documentation showing the applicant's name and residential address

If applying for or voting via an absentee ballot, the elector must provide his or her date of birth and a Georgia driver's license or identification card number OR a copy of one of the other forms of ID listed above.

More information on ID requirements

Where to get an ID

Georgia Department of Driver Services

Voter ID cards can also be obtained at any county registrar's office.

Casting a Ballot in Georgia

Important Dates

  • August 19, 2024: Earliest day to apply for an absentee ballot for November General Election.
  • September 21, 2024: Earliest day for registrar to mail a regular absentee ballot for the November General Election.
  • October 7, 2024: Last day for a person to register and be eligible to vote in the November General Election.
  • October 15, 2024: Advanced (Absentee In-Person) voting begins for the November General Election.
  • October 25, 2024: Last day to submit absentee ballot application for the November General Election.
  • November 5, 2024: General Election.

2024 Elections Calendar (PDF)

Absentee voting

Opening/closing dates

  • Georgia law allows for absentee by mail ballots to be requested no earlier than 78 days and no later than 11 days prior to an election.
  • Separate applications are required for each election with exceptions based on age, disability status, or military status. More information on these exceptions is available on the absentee ballot application.
  • Check the official calendar for the earliest date a voter may mail in an absentee ballot.
  • Absentee ballots must be received by the County Board of Elections office by election day by 7:00 p.m. in order to be counted. No marked absentee ballots can be accepted at the polling locations on Election Day.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) citizens may choose to submit one application and receive one ballot for the General Primary and its Runoff (if any), as well as the General Election and its Runoff (if any).

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

All Georgia voters are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot.

 

For more information, see A Guide for Registered Voters: An Overview of Georgia's Absentee Voting Process

 

Polling places and hours

  • Use the Polling Place Locator to find your polling place
  • Polls in Georgia are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Time off to vote: Employers must give an employee up to two hours of time off to vote, unless the polls are open for two consecutive hours before or after the employee’s work shift. However employers are not required to provide paid time off to vote and may decide when time is taken.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

Help for voters with disabilities

  • Georgia law requires all polling places to be fully accessible and equipped with poll workers that are trained to take care of the needs of all voters.
  • Any voter may request a mail-in ballot or utilize the option to vote early. No justification is required for either option.
  • In person voting assistance is available, as are assistive voting devices and a seated voting option.
  • More information for voters with disabilities

Ballots

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • In Georgia, a voter does not have to be a member of a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot

Federal (even years)

President/Vice-President (elected every four years; next election in 2020)

Senator (elected every six years for staggered terms; next election in 2020)

Representative (elected every two years)

State (even years)

Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, Judges of Probate (elected every four years; next election in 2022)

State Senator (elected every two years)

State Representative (elected every two years)

Statewide ballot measures

Municipal (odd years)

Mayor 

Clerk

School Board and other boards and commissions

City Council

Local ballot measures

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

Important Dates

See key dates in the Elections and Voter Registration Calendars. Dates of election for offices in the state of Georgia are held in accordance with the Official Code of Georgia, Title 21-2-9.

 

Who conducts elections?

  • The Elections Division of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office organizes and oversees all election activity.
  • Generally, each county has a Registrar and an Elections Office to receive and process applications for voter registration and prepare ballots and administer balloting.

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office organizes and oversees all election activity, including voter registration, municipal, state, county, and federal elections, and are accountable for investigating election fraud and enforcing state election laws.

Contact the Elections Division

Report voter fraud

Campaign finance

Campaign reports are filed with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports and Candidate Financial Disclosure Statements are filed with the Secretary of State's office from 1998 to 2005.

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials via the My Voter Page

Elected Officials Directory

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections


Election Protection Hotlines


1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)


Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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