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Monday marks last day to register to vote in Georgia

Published  October 6, 2024 7:25pm EDT
2024 Election
FOX 5 Atlanta

Voter registration car caravan cuts through ATL

Time is running out for Georgia residents to register to vote. A local group known as "The Atlanta Cluster of Links" held a car caravan to raise awareness around Fulton County.

ATLANTA - Monday is the last day for residents to register to vote in the state of Georgia.

Here's what you need to know to make sure you won't get turned away at the polls:

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.

When does early voting begin in Georgia?

The 2024 presidential election is swiftly approaching, with early voting starting soon. Here's what you need to know about advance voting in Georgia.

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.

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.

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

DeKalb County GOP want to cancel 5K voters

DeKalb County Republicans are aiming to get more than 5,000 voter registrations canceled a little more than a month before Election Day. The group has filed a lawsuit to get the county to hold a hearing to consider the request.

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.