Georgia’s 2026 Elections

Yes. Every registered voter in Georgia has the right to vote by mail (also known as absentee voting by mail) with no excuse needed. All you have to do is request a ballot and return it to your county registrar/ elections office by Election Day. You can find your county registrar/ elections office contact information here.

There are three steps if you choose to vote by mail, also known as vote by absentee ballot. First, you should request an absentee ballot by completing an absentee ballot application. Second, you should expect to receive an absentee ballot in the mail. Finally, you should return your completed absentee ballot either by mail, in person, or to a drop box.

Please find more detailed information in the sections below.

You can request or apply for an absentee ballot as early as 78 days before Election Day, and as late as 11 days before Election Day. Request as early as possible to ensure there is time for the mailing process.

You can request an absentee ballot using this online portal on the Secretary of State’s website if you have a Georgia State ID or driver’s license number. Please note that the request process cannot be done entirely online. Georgia voting laws mandate a “pen and ink” signature in writing on the form. This means that you must download and print the absentee application, then scan it or take a cellphone picture before uploading.

If you do not have a Georgia State ID or driver’s license number, or would otherwise prefer to complete a paper application, you can download a fillable PDF of the absentee ballot application here and, once you’ve completed it, return it to your county registrar/elections office either by mail, fax, email, or in person. Addresses and contact information of the county registrar/ elections office can be found here.

If you have a Georgia State ID or driver’s license, the application will ask you to provide your ID or license number. If you do not have either, you will need to provide a copy of one of the following with your absentee ballot application: (1) one of the forms of acceptable photo ID, found here; or (2) a current utility bill, current bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing your name and address.

Your absentee ballot application must be received by your county registrar/ elections office no later than 11 calendar days before Election Day. If you miss that deadline, you can still vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. Please refer to the section on early in-person voting in the next chapter.

After you submit your absentee ballot application, if there are no issues with it, an absentee ballot will be mailed to you.

The absentee ballot will be mailed out 29 calendar days prior to Election Day through the Friday before Election Day.

If there is a runoff election,you should expect to receive your absentee ballot as soon as possible.

The U.S. Postal Service recommends allowing 7-10 days for delivery. Please note that you should make your request early to allow enough time for the ballot to be mailed to you, completed, returned and received back at the county registrar office before 7 p.m on Election Day.

Yes, but only if you cannot request an absentee ballot yourself because of a physical disability or because you are temporarily out of town. In those cases, specific relatives (your mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law) over the age of 18 may request an absentee ballot on your behalf.

Anyone who requests an absentee ballot on your behalf must indicate so in the appropriate space provided on the application. Please refer to Section No. 11 of your Application for Georgia Official Absentee Ballot, under the subtitle of “Requesting a ballot on behalf of a voter?”

If you plan to distribute absentee ballot applications, you must be aware that:

1. The voter must personally sign the application.

2. The voter must record who distributed their application in the very last section on the page of the application.

3. The voter who uses the absentee ballot application provided by a third-party must attest to the truth and correctness of the content of the application and sign the application.

4. You are not allowed to handle the completed application unless you are a relative authorized to request an absentee ballot for the voter, or a person signing as assisting an illiterate or physically disabled voter with the application, or a mail carrier, an absentee ballot clerk, a registrar, or a law enforcement officer in the course of an investigation.

Yes. You are allowed to receive assistance if you have difficulty reading English or have a disability that makes you unable to see or mark your ballot application. Someone else may help you fill out your absentee ballot application as long as the person prints and signs their name on the application as a person who provided assistance. Please refer to Section No. 10 of your Application for Georgia Official Absentee Ballot, under the subtitle of “Assisting a voter?”.

Please also note that under recently passed law, it is now a misdemeanor for anyone to handle your completed absentee ballot application aside from: (1) you (the voter); (2) a relative authorized to request your absentee ballot for you as detailed in the previous question; (3) a person providing language or disability assistance to you; (4) a mail carrier; (5) an absentee ballot clerk or registrar; and (6) a law enforcement officer conducting an investigation.

No. The dropboxes are intended for completed absentee ballots only, not absentee ballot applications.

You will receive an absentee ballot package that includes your official absentee ballot; a larger, outer envelope; and a smaller, inner envelope labeled Official Absentee Ballot.

When you receive your absentee ballot package in the mail, complete the absentee ballot and return it either by mail or in person to your county registrar/elections office, or to a drop box at your county location.

Similar to the process for requesting your absentee ballot, if you have a Georgia State ID or driver’s license, you will be required to provide your ID or license number where indicated on the larger, outer envelope of the absentee ballot.

If you don’t have a Georgia driver’s license or state ID, you should print the last four digits of your social security number where indicated on the larger, outer envelope in your absentee ballot package.

If you do not have a social security number either, you will need to provide a printed copy of one of the following in the larger, outer envelope with your absentee ballot: (1) one of the forms of acceptable photo ID, found here under the section called “Photo Identification For Absentee Voting”; or (2) a current utility bill, current bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing your name and address. You will need to do this even if you included one of these documents with your absentee ballot application. It can be a copy of the same document provided at that stage.

In all cases, you should check the status of your absentee ballot at My Voter Page and contact your county registrar/ elections office if you have any questions.

If you are a first-time voter in Georgia, and decided to vote by absentee ballot for the first time using your Georgia drivers’ license or state ID number or last 4 digits of your social security number, but did not include a copy of said ID with your absentee ballot, you will also need to go to your county registrar/ elections and provide them a copy of required ID no later than three days following the election for your vote to count.

You should receive a notification from your county registrar/ elections office of your missing ID. But in all cases, you should check the status of your ballot after you submit it at My Voter Page and contact your county registrar/ elections office if you have any questions.

If you choose to return your absentee ballot by mail, please send it out as soon as possible.

The U.S. Postal Service recommends allowing 7-10 days for delivery. Please note that you should return your absentee ballot early to allow enough time for the ballot to be received back at the county office before 7 p.m. on Election Day.

If you return your absentee ballot to a drop box in your county, please note that drop boxes are only available during the early voting period, during regular business hours, usually from 9 AM - 7 PM with shorter hours on weekends.

If you decide to return your absentee ballot in person, it must be brought to your county registrar/ elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

You can track your absentee ballot on mvp.sos.ga.gov. You can also opt in to receive phone call, text, or email alerts about the status of your ballot.

If you return your absentee ballot by mail, you should put two stamps on the larger, outer envelope.

If you return your absentee ballot to a drop box in your county or deliver it in person, you do not need any postage.

If you return your absentee ballot to a drop box in your county, please note that drop boxes are only available during the early voting period,

Every county is required by law to have at least one drop box. State laws have mandated that drop boxes be located inside places where early voting is being held, which are required to stay open during the early voting period from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on weekdays

There may be additional times drop boxes are made available, depending on your county. While exact hours may vary, the daily availability of drop boxes is not allowed to be longer than 7:00 A.M. through 7:00 P.M.

Please refer to the Advanced Voting Location Information portal for the exact time and location of drop boxes in your county. Alternatively, you can also log into your My Voter Page, click on “My Voting Location,” then scroll down to find “Early voting polling locations and information.”

If you have trouble finding information about drop boxes on the online portal above, please refer to the County Elections Offices portal to find the contact information of your county’s election office.

No. You must return your ballot to a drop box in the county where you are registered to vote. Returning it to another county’s drop box could cause your vote to be rejected.

Yes. Once you’ve returned your absentee ballot, you can track the status of your ballot via the My Voter Page portal or through the BallotTrax website. We also encourage you to call your county registrar/elections office to confirm your ballot has been received. Your county registrar/elections office may have more up-to-date information than the My Voter Page website.

Report it immediately to your county registrar/elections office. Any mistake discovered on an absentee ballot should be reported to your local county registrar/elections office as quickly as possible.

i. Only if you are registered to vote in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett County is currently the only county in Georgia that provides ballots in a language other than English, which is Spanish.

ii. Consolidated sample ballots (but not votable ballots) will be available in Korean, Spanish, and Amharic in DeKalb here.

iii. Consolidated sample ballots (but not votable ballots) will be available in Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish in Gwinnett here.

iv. While you cannot use these sample ballots to vote, you may review them and bring any handwritten notes with you to your polling location to assist you while voting.

Yes. You are allowed to receive assistance if you have difficulty reading English. You can receive this help from anyone except your employer, an agent of your employer, an officer of your union, a candidate on the ballot, or a family member of that candidate (unless you are related to the candidate). The person providing you assistance must also sign on your ballot where indicated.

Only if you are registered to vote in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett County is currently the only county in Georgia that provides absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots in a language other than English, which is Spanish.

Yes. You are allowed to receive assistance if you have a disability that makes you unable to see or mark your ballot. You can receive this help from anyone except your employer, an agent of your employer, an officer of your union, a candidate on the ballot, or a family member of that candidate (unless you are related to the candidate). The person providing you assistance must also sign on your ballot where indicated.

Generally, yes; but you are allowed to get help from specific people. An absentee ballot may be mailed or delivered by a voter’s parents (including in-laws), grandparents, aunt or uncle, sibling (including in-laws), niece or nephew, grandchild, spouse, child (including in-law), or roommate. These rules apply whether the absentee ballot is returned by mail, in person, or at a drop box.

If you are registered as a disabled voter, you may have someone in your household mail or hand-deliver your absentee ballot for you. You can also have your caretaker mail or hand-deliver your absentee ballot even if the caretaker does not live with you.

This depends on whether the county registrar/elections office has received your absentee ballot.

If your county registrar/elections office has already received your absentee ballot, your absentee ballot will be counted as your vote, and you cannot change your vote in any way.

But if your county registrar/elections office has not yet received your absentee ballot, you can choose to either cancel your absentee ballot in person, or contact your county registrar/ elections office to cancel your absentee ballot.

If you decide to cancel your absentee ballot in person, you can go to the early voting or Election Day polling location and request the poll manager or the poll worker to cancel your absentee ballot. The poll manager or the poll worker will then confirm with the county registrar/elections office if the absentee ballot has not been received. Once confirmed, your absentee ballot will be canceled, and you may then cast a regular ballot in person. We strongly, strongly recommend that you go in person at your early voting or Election Day polling location to cancel your absentee ballot.

The second way is not recommended simply because it takes much more time and effort. However, if you desire, you can contact your county registrar/ elections office and request to cancel your missing absentee ballot. You will be asked to complete an affidavit or form of canceled absentee ballot to have the absentee ballot marked “canceled.” A sample of such form or affidavit can usually be found on the website of your county registrar/ elections office. Upon completion, you shall then mail, fax, email or personally deliver the form to your county registrar/ elections office. In that instance, your county will then issue you another absentee ballot. A new application is not required.

In all cases, you should check whether your county registrar/elections office has received your absentee ballot on the My Voter Page or by calling your county registrar/ elections office, which is more likely to have the most up-to-date information than the My Voter Page website.

There are two ways to address this situation.

First, we strongly, strongly recommend you to cancel your absentee ballot in person at your early voting or Election Day polling location, even if it is not in your possession. You can go to the early voting or Election Day polling location and request the poll manager or the poll worker to cancel your absentee ballot. The poll manager or the poll worker will then confirm with the county registrar/elections office if the absentee ballot has not been received. Once confirmed, your absentee ballot will be canceled, and you may then cast a regular ballot in person.

The second way is not recommended simply because it takes much more time and effort. However, if you desire, you can contact your county registrar/ elections office and request to cancel your missing absentee ballot. You will be asked to complete an affidavit or form of canceled absentee ballot to have the absentee ballot marked “canceled.” A sample of such form or affidavit can usually be found on the website of your county registrar/ elections office. Upon completion, you shall then mail, fax, email or personally deliver the form to your county registrar/ elections office. In that instance, your county will then issue you another absentee ballot. A new application is not required.

Yes. You will have to cancel your absentee ballot in person. You must go to the early voting or Election Day polling location and request the poll manager or the poll worker to cancel your absentee ballot. The poll manager or the poll worker will then confirm with the county registrar/elections office if the absentee ballot has not been received. Once confirmed, your absentee ballot will be canceled, and you may then cast a regular ballot in person.

We strongly, strongly encourage you to bring your absentee ballot with you to the polls, because it makes the cancellation process faster and easier. However, if you do not have your absentee ballot with you, you will need to complete an affidavit provided by the poll manager or the poll worker.

If your county registrar/elections office has already received your absentee ballot, your absentee ballot will be counted as your vote, and you cannot vote in person.

If the county registrar/elections office has not yet received your absentee ballot, you will have to cancel your absentee ballot in person. You must go to the early voting or Election Day polling location and request the poll manager or the poll worker to cancel your absentee ballot. The poll manager or the poll worker will then confirm with the county registrar/elections office if the absentee ballot has not been received. Once confirmed, your absentee ballot will be canceled, and you may then cast a regular ballot in person.

In all cases, you should check whether your county registrar/elections office has received your absentee ballot on the My Voter Page or by calling your county registrar/ elections office, which is more likely to have the most up-to-date information than the My Voter Page website.

Yes. Counties are required by law to promptly notify you of the reason for absentee ballot rejection.

If your absentee ballot is rejected eleven calendar days prior to Election Day, your county will notify you within three business days after receiving your ballot to give you time to correct the issue. They will attempt to contact you by mailing written notice, and by telephone and email on your voter registration record or absentee ballot application.

If your absentee ballot is rejected on or after that eleven day period, your county should notify you in one business day to allow you to correct the issue. They will attempt to contact you by mailing written notice, and by telephone and email on your voter registration record or absentee ballot application.

Once you’ve received the notice or notification of rejection, please follow the instructions to correct - or “cure” - the problems with your absentee ballot. You will have three calendar days after the election to address these problems.

Generally, there are two main reasons your absentee ballot is rejected.

• If your ballot was rejected due to an issue with your ID or other identification documents (i.e, you did not include a printed copy of your identification in the larger, outer envelope).

• We recommend that you take your ID or other required identification documents personally to your county’s elections office so that the county clerks can verify them without delay.

• However, you can still choose to send a copy of such documents by mail, email, or fax to your county’s elections office.

• If your ballot was rejected due to an issue with your signature (i.e., a mismatch with your usual signature, or you forgot to sign the oath on the back of the smaller, inner envelope.)

• You will need to fill out an “Absentee By Mail Ballot Signature Cure Affidavit Form.” This form will be sent out by the county, alongside the notice of rejection. You can also choose to go to your county’s election office in person with your identification documents and complete the form there. Alternatively, you can also request this form by contacting your county’s elections office by mail, email, or fax.