How to Vote in Georgia’s 2024 Elections

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The Georgia secretary of state’s office has set up a dedicated web page for voters impacted by Helene. It includes information on absentee voting, photo ID and precinct changes. Information for voters impacted by Helene is also included in this guide.

• Last day to register to vote: Monday, Oct. 7
• Early in-person voting: Tuesday, Oct. 15, through Friday, Nov. 1
• Last day to request an absentee ballot: Friday, Oct. 25
• Last day for absentee ballots to be received: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
• Runoff Election (if needed): Tuesday, Dec. 3
  

• Voter registration: Register on the secretary of state’s website and visit My Voter Page to check your registration status.
  
• Absentee voting: Available to all eligible Georgia voters, but absentee ballots are not sent out automatically; you’ll need to request and apply for one. 
  
• Early voting: Also called advanced voting, this option is available to all registered voters. You can vote at any early polling site in your county. 
  
• Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bring an acceptable photo ID.

• A 2024 law allows election officials to remove voters from the rolls up until 45 days before the election if their eligibility has been successfully challenged. Previously, challenges were permitted through Election Day. The law defines probable cause needed for a challenge.
  
• A law passed in 2023 requires employers to allow workers to take up to two hours off to vote during the early in-person voting window. Previously, time off was required only on Election Day.
  
• Congressional and state legislative maps approved by Georgia lawmakers in December 2023 have been upheld by a federal judge. The redrawn maps may change district boundaries and affect which candidates appear on your ballot. 
  
• A 2021 voting law shortened the absentee voting window, introduced new ID requirements for mail ballots and set rules for drop boxes, among other changes. Litigation over parts of the law is ongoing. Check back for updates.

The deadline to register for the general election is Monday, Oct. 7.

• Online: Use the Georgia secretary of state’s Online Voter Registration System. You will need a valid driver’s license or a state identification card issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services.  

• By mail: Download and complete a postage-paid voter registration application and return it to the secretary of state’s office. If you do not have a valid Georgia driver’s license or state identification card, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number or have the state provide you with a unique identification number.

• By phone: Call your county election office to request a voter registration application. Or call the elections division of the secretary of state’s office at 404-656-2871.  

• In person: Visit your county election office. Or you can register to vote when you renew or apply for your driver’s license at the Georgia Department of Driver Services. You can also pick up and submit a voter registration form at public libraries, public assistance and other government offices, military recruitment stations and colleges. 

Check your registration status on the secretary of state’s My Voter Page. Contact your county election office if you don't receive a precinct card in the mail within two to four weeks after submitting your application. A precinct card proves you’re registered to vote and tells you where to vote, but you’re not required to have it with you when you vote.

Same-day registration is not available in Georgia.

Any eligible registered Georgia voter can request an absentee ballot. The secretary of state’s office asks voters displaced by Helene to resubmit absentee ballot request forms with their updated locations. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 25, for the general election. Submit a request:

• Online: Use the state’s absentee ballot request portal to submit an absentee ballot application online. Or download a request form and email it to your county election office.

• By mail: Download and print an application from the secretary of state’s website and mail it to your county election office.

• By phone: Call your county election office to request an application and mail, fax, email or hand-deliver it to your county election office. 

• In person: Download and print an application from the secretary of state’s website and take it to your county election office. 

Absentee ballot applications require a valid Georgia driver’s license or state ID card number, the last four digits of a Social Security number or other identifying documents outlined on the secretary of state’s website.

Certain voters — including military members and their families, those 65 and older and people with disabilities — can make a single request that absentee ballots be sent for every election this year, except special elections. Everyone else needs a separate request for each election and runoff.

Voters displaced by Hurricane Helene can have their absentee ballot delivered to their new location. The secretary of state's office has more information.

Completed absentee ballots can be returned in person or by mail. Be sure to include your driver’s license or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number, on the outer envelope.

• In person: You, a family member or a person living in your household can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office on Election Day, but make sure to get it there before the polls close.

• Drop box: Bring your ballot to a drop box in your county by the close of early voting on Friday, Nov. 1. Check with your county election office for locations.

• By mail: Mail completed ballots to your county election office. Mail your ballot at least seven days before the election to help ensure it arrives by the time polls close on Election Day. Postage is required.

Use the secretary of state’s My Voter Page to track your absentee ballot.

If you are displaced and would now like to vote absentee for the general election, follow the steps above to request an absentee ballot. Provide your temporary address on the request form. Your county elections office must receive your request by Friday, Oct. 25.

If you already requested an absentee ballot for the general election, but need a new one because yours is lost or damaged, or you’re displaced, contact your county election office to have them cancel your original absentee ballot and issue you a new one. Your county elections office must receive this request by Friday, Oct. 25.

If you already requested an absentee ballot but would now prefer to vote in person, you must cancel your absentee ballot first. Contact your county election office to do so, or do so at your assigned voting precinct on Election Day. (You cannot cancel an absentee ballot if it’s already been completed and received by your county election office.)

Those who already mailed their completed absentee ballots can track them via My Voter Page. If you’re worried your ballot is lost or won’t arrive at your county election office by close of polls on Election Day, contact your county election office to have them cancel your original absentee ballot (as long as it hasn’t already been received). They can issue you a new one if you request one by Friday, Oct. 25, or you can opt to vote in person instead.

Early in-person voting, also called advanced voting, is available to all eligible registered voters at any early voting location in your county. For locations and opening hours, visit My Voter Page or the secretary of state’s website or contact your county election office. These resources, plus the state’s new disaster recovery webpage, will reflect any changes due to Hurricane Helene, the secretary of state’s office says.

Early voting runs from Tuesday, Oct. 15, through Friday, Nov. 1. Saturday voting will be offered on Oct. 19 and 26. Some counties may offer Sunday voting.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can vote only at your assigned polling precinct on the day of the election. To find your polling precinct, check My Voter Page or contact your county election office. These resources will reflect any changes due to Hurricane Helene, the secretary of state’s office says. If you’re in line by 7 p.m., you’ll be allowed to vote.

View sample ballots on My Voter Page.

You must show an acceptable form of photo identification, such as a Georgia driver’s license (even if it’s expired) or any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID. Find a full list of acceptable photo ID on the secretary of state’s website.

If you don’t have an acceptable form of photo identification, you can get a free voter ID card from the Department of Driver Services or any county election office.

No voter ID accommodations have been made due to Hurricane Helene.

Counties are required by law to provide accessible polling places.

Georgia’s voting system offers accessibility devices for people with disabilities, including audio ballots for visually impaired voters and booths for voters in wheelchairs.

If you need help voting in person, you can choose anyone to assist you except for your employer or union officer, a candidate on the ballot or a candidate’s immediate relative. If you registered as a voter with a disability, your absentee ballot may be returned by someone in your household or your caregiver.

If you’re 75 or older or have a disability and require assistance, you can vote at the next available booth without waiting in line.

Find more information about voting with a disability on the secretary of state’s website.


Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Jan. 31, 2024, and was updated on Oct. 10, 2024, with information on how to vote after Hurricane Helene.

Natalie Missakian covers federal and state policy and writes AARP’s Fighting for You Every Day blog. She previously worked as a reporter for the New Haven Register and daily newspapers in Ohio. She has also written for the AARP Bulletin, the Hartford Business Journal and other publications.

Emily Paulin is a reporter for AARP covering nursing homes, health care, and federal and state policy. Her work has also appeared in Broadsheet, an Australian lifestyle publication.

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