ATLANTA — All voters have until the end of day today, Friday, Oct. 28 to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail in the November 8 midterm election. Common Cause Georgia urges any voters who plan to vote absentee and have received their absentee ballot to mail in their ballots as soon as possible.  Voters should remember that even if they requested an absentee ballot, they can still choose to vote in-person during early voting or on Election Day.

“Our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can cast a ballot freely and fairly,” said Aunna Dennis, executive director of Common Cause Georgia. “We know we all plan to vote, but sometimes life happens. That’s why I’m urging you to mail your absentee ballot back now, go to an early voting site in your county, or make plans to vote on Nov. 8, Election Day.” 

In Georgia, there are multiple steps that those looking to vote by mail must take. That can be difficult for some voters to manage, which is why Common Cause Georgia suggests making a plan to vote in person, if possible. 

The steps to vote by mail in Georgia  include: 

• Downloading an absentee ballot application at https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/. 
• Hand-signing the application before submitting it and identification documentation by uploading or scanning a photo of the application to https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov/s/. Signed applications can also be returned to the voter’s county board of registrars – either by email, by fax or by dropping it off in-person. 
• Mailing in an absentee ballot right away, to ensure it gets to election officials in time. Voters can also  check the status of their mail ballot and find other information on the state’s “My Voter Page.”

More information about the absentee voting process is available here.  

Recent anti-voter changes to Georgia’s elections law following the record turnout in the 2020 election has injected unnecessary confusion into the voting process this year, with voters navigating newly-assigned polling places and barriers in place making it hard for some to vote. 

“We are resilient here in Georgia, and won’t be discouraged from exercising our freedom to vote,” Dennis said. “That’s why I’m urging every eligible voter in the state to make their plan now of how they’ll cast their ballot, and then talk to friends, family, and neighbors so we will all show up to vote in this and every election.”