Georgia’s Absentee-Ballot Window Opens Next Monday. Here Are the Dates North Atlanta Voters Should Know

For North Atlanta voters planning to cast a ballot by mail this fall, the first important date arrives one week from today.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 17, Georgia voters may request an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. The opening applies statewide, including voters in Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Cumming, South Forsyth, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Duluth and Peachtree Corners.

There is no requirement to wait until ballots themselves are ready. Georgia opens the application period 75 days before Election Day, allowing voters who already know they intend to vote absentee to take care of the request well before the fall rush.

That distinction is worth noting: Aug. 17 is the first day to request a ballot, not the day ballots begin arriving in mailboxes.

Counties are scheduled to begin mailing regular absentee ballots on Oct. 5. That is also Georgia’s voter-registration deadline for the general election.

The Dates That Matter

The calendar creates a considerable gap between requesting a ballot and receiving one. Someone applying on Aug. 17, for example, should not expect the actual ballot to arrive in August.

The advantage is simply getting the application out of the way.

Georgia allows absentee applications to be submitted online or delivered by email, mail, fax or in person. Voters applying online should have identification available and provide contact information so election officials can reach them if there is a problem with the application.

Fulton County, which includes Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell, has separately confirmed Aug. 17 as its first day for general-election absentee requests and Oct. 23 as the final request date.

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Why Applying Early Can Matter

The legal deadline and the practical deadline are not necessarily the same thing.

Georgia permits absentee-ballot requests through Oct. 23, just 11 days before Election Day. But a voter waiting until then leaves considerably less time for the application to be processed, the ballot to travel through the mail, the voter to complete it and the completed ballot to return.

State election guidance specifically encourages voters to request and return absentee ballots early to leave time for mail delivery and to resolve problems.

Completed absentee ballots generally must reach election officials by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. A ballot merely postmarked by Election Day does not satisfy the normal deadline.

Voters can also follow the status of an absentee ballot through Georgia’s My Voter Page, including checking whether it has been issued and accepted. Fulton County recommends checking the system if an expected ballot has not arrived within roughly seven to 10 days after it was mailed.

A Major Georgia Election Awaits

The November ballot will be substantially larger than a typical local election.

Georgia voters will choose a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and other statewide officials. One of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats is also on the ballot, along with all 14 congressional districts and every seat in the Georgia General Assembly. Local contests and questions will vary depending on where a voter lives.

For North Atlanta residents who prefer voting in person, nothing needs to happen next week. Early voting does not begin until Oct. 13, and Election Day remains Nov. 3.

But for anyone already planning to vote absentee, Monday, Aug. 17 is the first date to put on the calendar.

Georgia absentee voting information

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