August 19 is the first day to request mail-in ballots for the November 2024 election. Here’s everything voters in Athens and Georgia need to know.
All registered voters in Georgia are eligible to vote by mail if they prefer to cast their ballot by mail rather than voting in person. Voters cannot opt to vote in person after submitting an application for an absentee ballot.
Voters who wish to vote by mail must submit an application for an absentee ballot, which will be reviewed by the respective county election office. The application does not require an excuse or explanation. To obtain an application, voters must visit: securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov Alternatively, you can request an application by post, email, fax or from your district election office.
If an application is denied, the voter must contact their county registrar for information about the denial and instructions for next steps. To avoid having an application denied, applicants are asked to read the instructions several times before submitting.
Once the voter receives their application, they have between 78 and 11 days before the election to submit it. For the general election on Tuesday, November 5, applications must be submitted by Friday, October 25.
Voters will receive their ballots by mail after approval. Voters who are active and deployed in the military may receive ballots electronically under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
If a voter does not receive their mail-in ballot after submitting their application, they should contact their county registrar. If the voter does not receive their mail-in ballot in time, they may vote in person after signing a statement that they voted only once.
After voters complete the required information on the ballot, they can submit their ballots either by mail or in person to their county registrar. In-person drop-off locations in Athens are available on the ACC Gov website. Voters can verify that their vote was cast by visiting the My Voter page for their state. The link for Georgia is mvp.sos.ga.gov.
For more information, see georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot or contact the registry office.
