ATLANTA — Georgia's Secretary of State's Office announced it is conducting a second audit to determine whether any non-citizens have registered to vote. The office has previously said the audit is an effort to keep elections secure and the voter roll clean.
This bodes the question - who is actually allowed to vote in Georgia?
Citizens who are residents of Georgia are allowed to register to vote. People can register as young as 17 and a half years old but must be 18 by the time an election comes around.
There are other populations who are allowed to register, too.
Who can vote in Georgia?
U.S. Citizens
Only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in Georgia. In fact, every Georgia voter goes through a citizenship verification process.
To make sure this process works, the Secretary of State's Office conducted its first "Citizenship Review Audit" in 2022 and is now replicating it ahead of the November election.
In its 2022 audit, the office found that 1,634 people attempted to register to vote and were not approved. They were not added to the voter rolls, and "None of these individuals have cast ballots in Georgia elections," according to a news release from the SOS Office.
This process means that people with Temporary Protected Status, visa holders, legal permanent residents and those with work permits in the U.S. are not allowed to vote and will be stopped from trying to register. To learn more about how Georgia is verifying voters' citizenship status, click here.
Attempted registration by non-citizens is a felony, according to the Secretary of State's Office, and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
People with felony records - under these circumstances
Though non-citizens are not allowed to vote, returning citizens are.
People lose their voting rights once they are convicted of a felony. However, their rights are restored once the sentence is terminated or the individual is "off paper." This also deems them a "returning citizen," someone who has served their time and can reenter society. As for being off paper, this means that the individual's sentence is complete including any terms of probation or parole.
Just because someone is behind bars doesn't mean they can't vote. Pre-trial detention and misdemeanors don't restrict voting rights.
Justice-impacted individuals can also check their voter eligibility here.
RELATED: Big Georgia county to start charging some costs to people who challenge the eligibility of voters
People experiencing homelessness
Voters without a fixed address can also vote, including those experiencing homelessness.
Georgia law allows people to submit an address of where one usually stays, including a bridge or park. The potential voter needs to have a mailing address and photo ID, which shelters might be able to help provide. Under Georgia's new election laws, the mailing address must be a residential address - an office will not suffice.
The Fulton County Supervisor of Elections Office also allows those who are unhoused to use its address. Other counties may help those who are temporarily unhoused, but varies on a case-by-case basis.
Watch the videos in the YouTube playlist below so you're caught up on what you need to know before you head to the polls: