The guide provides college students in Georgia with steps to check their voter registration, register to vote, and make a voting plan for the upcoming election. It explains options for casting a ballot, including in-person voting, early voting, and voting via absentee ballot. It also addresses common questions about voting, such as residency requirements, absentee ballot procedures, and voting in person. Additional voter resources and contact information for assistance are provided as well. Click below to view the complete, official 2024 Election Calendar.
Ensure you are registered to vote in Georgia and that everything is up-to-date. You can quickly check your voter registration at Georgia’s My Voter Page: mvp.sos.ga.gov
Take action ASAP to make changes and updates. All changes must be made before October 07, 2024. You can update your registration information at registertovote.sos.ga.gov.
If you need further help (especially if you are listed as inactive), contact your County Registrar directly.
For more information, go to https://elections.sos.ga.gov/Elections/countyregistrars.do.
If you have not yet registered to vote in Georgia, do it NOW. The last date to register and be eligible to vote in the November 5th election is October 07, 2024. But don’t wait that long; register today–your county registrar will need time to process your registration before you can vote.
You can register to vote at registertovote.sos.ga.gov.
You can register to vote online if you have:
If not, you must download and print the registration form and then return the completed form, along with a copy of an approved proof of residence document, to the address on the form (see orange box on the form for details).
You are not officially registered to vote until your application is approved.
If you have not received an acknowledgment within four weeks, please contact your local county registration office here.
Ensure you are registered to vote in Georgia and that everything is up-to-date. You can easily check your voter registration at Georgia’s My Voter Page.
Visit My Voter PageYou can register to vote at registertovote.sos.ga.gov. You can register to vote online if you have a Georgia driver’s license or State ID.
Check RegistrationIf you need further help (especially if for any reason you are listed as inactive), contact your County Registrar directly. Click belwo to view the full list.
Contact Registrars
You have three options for casting a ballot in Georgia:
Determine which options work for you, and make your voting plan NOW.
Georgia college students who cannot return home during the early voting period or on election day should plan to vote via absentee ballot or vote by mail.
Do this NOW!
Voting by mail is a long process, so the sooner you apply for a ballot, the better.
The first day to request an absentee ballot is August 19th
The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 25th (but don’t wait that long).
The Georgia Absentee Ballot Application can be found at the following site: Securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov
Your completed application must be printed out and signed. NOTE: the application is TWO PAGES…you must print out and complete both pages.
You can photograph or scan your completed application and then upload it to the Secretary of State’s absentee ballot portal (link above). You can scan documents into PDFs with many apps such as the follow:
Alternatively, you can email a photograph or scanned copy of your application to your county elections office (application must be sent as an attached .jpg or .pdf file). Fulton county voters can submit their application to elections.absentee@fultoncountyga.gov.
When you receive your absentee ballot (likely mid-October), complete it and return it as soon as possible to allow ample time for it to arrive before November 8. Remember to follow all of the included directions and SIGN the ballot return envelope.
Your absentee ballot will come with a self-addressed envelope in which you can return it via mail to your County Elections Office.
Please use 2 stamps when returning your ballot.
If you are studying abroad this semester, you have the option to vote absentee through an UOCAVA ballot (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) as a “Overseas Temporary Resident”. The UOCAVA ballot is different from a traditional absentee ballot in that your absentee ballot will be sent you via EMAIL (vs. regular mail), thus shortening the time it takes to receive your absentee ballot. You will still need to PRINT the absentee ballot that is emailed to you, complete it on paper, and then return it via regular mail. To request a UOCAVA ballot, go to The Absentee Ballot Portal on the Georgia My Voter Page FVAP.gov and follow the instructions.
The Absentee Ballot Portal on the Georgia My Voter Page mvp.sos.ga.gov provides helpful information on tracking your absentee ballot application and the absentee ballot itself. You can confirm when your application is received, when your ballot is mailed to you, and when the ballot is received and accepted. If you see any problems, please contact your County Elections office ASAP to determine what you must do to remedy any problems.
Go to the Voting Assistance for People with Disabilities page to find a full range of resaources to accomodate you or your loved ones.
Georgia law requires all polling places to be fully accessible and equipped with poll workers that are trained to take care of the needs of all voters. On Election Day, polling places in Georgia are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. If you have a disability and show up at the polling place between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., you will not be required to wait in line. Tell a poll officer you want to move to the front of the line.
For information on the accessibility of your polling place, please contact your county elections office. You may contact the Secretary of State’s office at 404-656-2871 or (V/TTY) 656-1787 for additional assistance.
You can get help voting if you are unable to sign your name, unable to see or mark the ballot, operate the voting equipment, or enter the voting booth without assistance. When you arrive, you must give the poll worker the name of the person assisting you or write it on your voter certificate.You can choose anyone to help you except:
The Georgia Voter Protection Hotline is an excellent resource for any question.
Dial 1-888-730-5816. If you live outside Georgia, the National Voter Hotline is 888-OUR-VOTE.
Most college students, especially those attending school outside of Georgia, maintain their family’s home address as their registration address while in college. Students attending college in Georgia may choose to switch their registration address to their college address, but you must update it every time you move (often annually for college students!). Additionally, some scholarships and financial aid packages are dependent upon your address of residence, and thus changing your voter registration address may impact your eligibility.
There is no minimum residency requirement to register to vote in Georgia. This means that students attending college in Georgia may register to vote in Georgia using their campus residential address (but they must cancel their voter registration in their home state….you can only vote in one state!).
Also, changing their registration address to Georgia may jeopardize any scholarships or financial aid they receive based on their out-of-state address (see above). Your college Registrar will have more specific information and advice.
If you attend college in the same county in which you are registered to vote, then yes. In Georgia you can vote at ANY early voting location in the county in which you are registered. However, you cannot vote early in a different county than the one in which you are registered. For example, if you are registered to vote at your family’s Fulton County address, but you attend school in Clarke County (Athens, GA), you can only vote early in-person in Fulton County. You cannot vote at a Clarke County early voting location.
When you vote in person, you must present a valid photo ID at the polling location. For most voters, this will be their Georgia Driver’s License (even if expired), or Georgia-issued state ID. Alternative forms of accepted photo ID can be found here: sos.ga.gov/page/georgia-voter-identification-requirements.
If you are a newly registered voter who did NOT use a Georgia Driver’s License or State ID when you registered, you may be asked to provide “proof of residence” when you vote for the first time.
This must be a document that shows:
Common examples are:
YES! A parent can submit an absentee ballot application on behalf of their child.
In SECTION 5 of the absentee ballot application, you can request to have your ballot sent to a temporary address (e.g. your address at school). This is only an option if you go to school in a different county than the one in which you reside. Some people choose this option so that they can have their ballot mailed to them directly. However, many voters have experienced difficulty with this option, and instead choose to have their absentee ballot sent to their home address (where they are registered). They then have a family member mail it to them at school. This option can take a bit longer, but reduces some risk of error and confusion. It’s your choice.
The earliest day that counties may begin mailing absentee ballots is October 10. At that time, start checking your My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov) to confirm when your ballot is put in the mail so that you can be on the lookout for it. Historically most counties start sending ballots one week after this “earliest day”… so be patient.
If you have not received your absentee ballot by the third week of October, call your County Registrar to inquire about the status of your ballot. If you fear that your ballot was lost in the mail, or sent to the wrong address, you may opt to cancel that ballot and request a new ballot be mailed to you. Remember to allow yourself ample time to return your ballot…don’t wait until the last minute to resolve problems.
The absentee ballot process relies heavily on US Mail and thus can be fraught with complications and delays. Some students opt to use their parents as intermediaries to streamline things. For an extra level of reassurance that your completed ballot makes it to the County Registrar, some students opt to mail their completed ballot to their parents who then return the ballot by hand (either directly to the County Registrar’s office or to an absentee ballot drop box). In Georgia, parents are allowed to return absentee ballots on behalf of their child.
YES! Many people request an absentee ballot, but then find that they are able to vote in person during the early voting period (plans change!). Or, some voters unfortunately may not receive their absentee ballot in a timely manner, and thus must make plans for a last-minute trip home to vote. Either way, you can vote early in-person (or on election day) by simply informing the poll worker that you want to cancel your absentee ballot request and vote in person instead.
If you have any questions on the voting process, here are some great resources:
Websites for both the State of Georgia and the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office offer detailed “how to” guides and resources that will address most voter questions.
For information on candidates, check out branch.vote. Just input your registration address and the site will provide you with the names of all the candidates who will appear on your specific ballot PLUS detailed information on each candidate’s positions and platforms.
To ask specific questions on the voting process, you can call 888-OUR-VOTE (888-687-8683). The non-partisan hotline is staffed by volunteer lawyers with decades of experience who can answer all of your voting questions.
The guide provides college students in Georgia with steps on how to check their voter registration, register to vote, and make a voting plan for the upcoming election. It explains options for casting a ballot, including in-person voting, early voting, and voting via absentee ballot. It also addresses common questions about voting, such as residency requirements, absentee ballot procedures, and voting in-person. Additional voter resources and contact information for assistance are provided as well.
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