A Guide to What's Needed on Election Day
With election day on Tuesday, November 6, deciding when and where you are voting allows for a smoother polling process. Early voting in GA begins on October 15 and continues through November 1. Planning whether you will vote early or on election day can alleviate the stress of voting. But what is needed at the polls to cast your ballot?
Usually, forms of identification like student IDs work, but only students at public institutions can vote using such. Students at Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, and the Interdenominational Theology School cannot use their student ID to vote, but don’t be discouraged, there are still ways to vote come election day. Here is what you do to lock in your ballot this election season.
Voting in Georgia
If you’re registered to vote in Georgia, you can use a Georgia driver's license (even if expired) or any other state driver's license (not expired). If you’re registered to vote in Georgia but have neither, a US Passport, U.S. military photo ID, U.S. Federal Government ID, Government Employee ID (issued by US, Georgia, or Local Government), or Tribal ID can be used.
Residents may receive a Georgia Voter Identification card. Those cards are issued by your county’s registrar’s office and the Department of Driver Services (links to both are at the end of the article). To receive a Georgia Voter ID, you must have the proper documentation—a Real ID and a signed Affidavit.
Remember to check your voter’s status on Georgia’s My Voter Page to see if you are still registered to vote.
Absentee Ballots
If you’re not from GA, you can request an absentee ballot or vote by mail. An absentee ballot is ideal if you cannot vote in person. Generally, when applying for an absentee ballot, there needs to be a reason you cannot be at the polls on election day—like being out of state at university. Being in college out of state is an excuse most, but not all, states accept.
To request an absentee ballot, first, you must check the requirements for your state and see if you are eligible. Since each state has different requirements, the National Conference of State Legislation website compiled a list for individuals to check the state's requirements. When state requirements are met, voters can visit the National Association of Secretaries of State’s “Can I Vote” page to select the state. The website will direct voters to the desired state’s Secretary of State page giving them full instructions on requesting an absentee ballot.
Some states participate in a vote-by-mail system where the ballots are automatically sent to residents during an electoral period. Eight states including California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C. conduct voting this way. In Nebraska and North Dakota, the states permit counties to decide if they will vote this way. If your state was mentioned and you are registered to vote there, you could have a family member send you your ballot. This way you can cast your vote before election day.
The ballot is yours, cast it.
Links to check out:
County Registrar's Office: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/county-election-offices
Voter ID Card: https://dds.georgia.gov/voter
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