Georgia Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s Georgia Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of Georgia voting rules and options. It focuses on Georgia-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about Georgia voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-Georgia voting tools. It's an all-in-one Georgia voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- at some public assistance offices and motor vehicle offices
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 7pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Early Voting / Advance Voting
Any voter may vote early at designated early voting sites.
Early voting is usually open from 9am-5pm on weekdays, and 9am-4pm on Saturdays, but the hours are up to the county to decide. Since hours may vary by location and some precincts will also offer Sunday voting, voters should check with their local election officials to plan when to vote.
Unlike Election Day, voters may cast ballots at any early voting location in their county.
Absentee Voting
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot by mail, fax, email (as an attachment), or in person at local registrar’s office.
You must file a separate application for each election for which you are requesting an absentee ballot unless you are over 65, with disability, or are a military or overseas citizen.
Follow all instructions on the ballot. The most common reason a ballot is rejected is because it is not signed properly. Pay careful attention to that part.
Drop boxes are available at the Board of Registrars or Absentee Ballot Clerk offices or at any Advance (Early) Voting Site during open hours.
The voter, voter's family member, voter's household member, or voter's caregiver may return the ballot. If a voter is in custody, a jail or detention center employee may return the voter's ballot.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in Georgia if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are a resident of Georgia
- Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
You are NOT eligible to vote in Georgia if:
- You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction
- A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.
Restorative Requirements
- If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote
You may preregister to vote in Georgia
- at the age of 17-1/2
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in Georgia if:
- You reside in Georgia but are attending college in another state
- You reside in another state but attend college in Georgia
- You provide a valid student ID from an accepted institution
Georgia accepts student ID cards from certain public and technical institutions. You can see if your school’s student ID is accepted at: sos.ga.gov/page/georgia-colleges-and-universities
Identification Requirements
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Georgia you should provide one of the following:
- Your Georgia Driver's License Number
- Other Government Issued Photo ID
If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:
- Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
If you are registering to vote for the first time by mail, you will need to provide proof of residency. Acceptable proof includes:
- Current and Valid Photo ID
- Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
- Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
If you are voting by absentee ballot under the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act you are exempt from this requirement.
Voting In-Person
In Georgia, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:
- Valid Employee Photo ID from Federal or State government
- Valid Student ID from State School
- Valid Georgia Voter ID Card with Photo
- Expired Georgia Driver's License
- Valid Federal Issued ID
- Valid Military ID
- Valid Georgia Driver's License
- Valid Tribal ID
- Valid US Passport
- Valid Georgia Issued ID
- Valid Employee Photo ID from Local Government
To request your absentee ballot in Georgia you should provide a copy or photo of one of the following with the application:
- Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
- Valid Student ID from State School
- Your Georgia Driver's License or State non-driver ID Number
- Expired Georgia Driver's License
- Valid Georgia Voter ID Card
- Valid US Passport
- Valid Employee Photo ID from Local Government
- Valid Employee Photo ID from Federal or State government
- Valid Military ID
- Valid Tribal Photo ID
If you do not have one of these requested forms of photo ID, a Georgia Voter ID Card can be obtained at no charge at your county registrar’s office or any Department of Driver Services Office.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Where is my Polling Place?
Where is my Ballot?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Am I Registered?
Overseas / Military Voter Information
Where are my Early Voting Locations?
State Voter Registration FAQ
For Ballot Dropbox Locations: Contact Local Election Office
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Identification Requirements
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Georgia Driver's License Number
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
- Valid Georgia Driver's License
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |