ATLANTA — To request an absentee ballot, a voter has to complete an application for an absentee ballot. This can be done on the Georgia Secretary of State's website, or in person.
The application then must be returned to your local county board of registrar's office either by mail, by fax, via email (as an attachment), or in person.
Once received, the absentee ballot application is processed and an absentee ballot is sent via US Mail to the voter.
The voter must ensure that the ballot is properly filled out and returned to your local county board registrar's office by the time the polls close on Election Day.
If you submit your ballot via US Mail, you will need to make sure you affix postage to the outside of the envelope. The envelopes provided by the registrar are not postage paid.
Otherwise, you may deliver your ballot in person to the registrar's office or a designated drop box in your county.
When the county registrar's office receives your ballot, the information on the oath envelope will be verified and the registrar will compare your signature to your voter registration card and your absentee application.
On Election Day, the ballot and envelope are then separated to ensure the confidentiality of the ballot.
A voter can verify that their ballot has been accepted by visiting the Secretary of State's My Voter Page. After logging in, check the line in the left-hand column marked "Click here for Absentee Ballot status."
A box will appear with the information regarding the latest absentee ballot submitted. It will indicate when the request was received by the county, when the ballot was issued, when that ballot was received back from the voter and the ballot's status -- whether it was accepted or rejected. If the ballot was rejected, it will indicate a reason.
If your absentee ballot has been challenged, the ballot remains with the envelope, is not counted, and the reason indicated on the envelope, along with the appropriate section of the My Voter Page.
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