How to register to vote in Georgia ahead of 2024 election

Georgia, it's almost time to exercise our civil duty and vote for the next President of the United States of America.

National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 17, and right now there are over 7 million active voters in Georgia. Are you one of them? FOX 5 Atlanta has a complete guide to making sure you're registered and all set to help decide the direction of our country in November.

How to register to vote in Georgia

The first step to registering to vote in the state of Georgia is making sure you're eligible. Here are the minimum requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be a legal resident of the county in which you're trying to register.
• You must be at least 17 and a half years old.
• You must not be serving time for a felony conviction.
• You must not be declared mentally incompetent by a judge.

If you meet the basic requirements, you can head online to the Georgia Secretary of State’s website or register by mail, phone or in person at your local election office. Click here to find the office closest to you.

Online, you'll fill out a form with your personal information, including your name, date of birth, address and social security number.

Georgia Voter ID requirements

Georgia requires some form of photo identification to place your vote. According to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, there are several acceptable forms:

• Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
• A Georgia driver's license, even if expired.
• Student ID from a Georgia public College or University.
• Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state.
• Valid U.S. passport ID.
• Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter.
• Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter.

You only have to bring one form of ID to the poll.

Absentee voters must provide the ID number on their driver's license when filling out their applications. Those who do not have a driver's license can provide a copy or photo of the following:

• United States Passport
• Georgia voter identification card
• Other valid photo identification card issued by a branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the United States authorized by law to issue personal identification
• United States military identification card provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the voter
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, Georgia state government, or Georgia county, municipality, board, authority, or any other entity of the state of Georgia provided that such employee identification card contains a photograph of the voter
• Tribal identification card, provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the voter
• Student ID from a Georgia public college or university
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck
• Government check, or another government document

Can my voter registration be canceled?

According to the Secretary of State's Office, three things will trigger the cancelation process:

1. A voter files a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service
2. Official election mail, like an absentee ballot request form, is returned undeliverable
3. A person has had no contact (not voting, updating your driver's license information, etc.) with elections officials for three years

According to Raffensperger, once you go on the inactive list, there are three additional steps before the state will cancel your registration altogether:

1. County elections officials send a confirmation letter to your address. If you do not respond, you remain on the inactive list.
2. If you go two more general elections without contact.
3. Elections officials send out one more notice informing you that you have 30 days to respond online, by mail, or in person before the state cancels your registration.

If you're not sure whether you're still registered to vote, check your status on the My Voter Page.

Last day to register to vote in Georgia

The deadline to register for the Nov. 5 election is Monday, Oct. 7.

How to request an absentee ballot, vote by mail?

You do not need an excuse to request an absentee ballot. It's also an option available to citizens who prefer not to vote in person.

You can request a mail-in ballot by filling out the application that can be found on Georgia.gov and can be submitted online, by email, by fax or in person.

You must request an absentee ballot before Oct. 25.

The ballot will be sent to the address that you indicated on your application. If you're in the military/overseas, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) provides that you will receive your ballot by electronic transmission.

All other absentee voters must have their ballots filled out and either mailed back to your County Registrar's Office or hand-delivered before 7 p.m. on Election Day. Otherwise, they won't be counted. Registered disabled voters are allowed to have someone in their household hand-deliver the ballot on their behalf.

You can always verify that your absentee ballot was accepted by checking the Georgia My Voter Page.

Please note that you cannot vote in person once you have turned in a completed absentee ballot.

When does early voting begin?

Early voting in Georgia begins Oct. 15 and ends Nov. 1.

Check out FOX 5 Atlanta's Guide to Early Voting for more information.

When is Election Day 2024?

Election Day is November 5. Polls will be open between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are waiting in line when a polling site shuts down, you will still be allowed to place your vote.

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