How to Vote in Georgia’s Elections

The mayorship of Atlanta is on the ballot, as are seats on the Atlanta City Council, other municipal positions and two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, a body that regulates utilities and other services in the state. The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 4. A runoff, if necessary, will be held Tuesday, Dec. 2. Below are some key dates.

Voter registration

• Monday, Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote 

Voting in person

• Tuesday, Oct. 14, through Friday, Oct. 31: Early in-person voting 
• Tuesday, Nov. 4: Election Day, polls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 

Absentee voting

• Friday, Oct. 24: Last day to submit absentee ballot application 
• Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.: Last day and time for absentee ballots to be received   

Elijah Nouvelage/AFP/Getty Images

• 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.
  
• 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.

• 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. Absentee ballots may be requested between 78 days before the election and 11 days before it. (For the Nov. 4, 2025, election, those dates are Aug. 18 and Oct. 24.) 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.

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. 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.

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.

Early voting runs from the fourth Monday prior to the election through the Friday before the election. Early voting will be available on the Saturdays that occur during that period, and 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. 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 IDs 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.

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 last updated on Aug. 22, 2025, to reflect 2025 election information.

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