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Category: Politics

Source (paste in the admin "Source" box): Georgia Secretary of State; Georgia.gov; Official Code of Georgia; county elections offices

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Early voting for Georgia's Nov. 3 election starts Tuesday, Oct. 13. Whether it's your first time or your 20th, here are straight answers to the questions voters ask most.

1. How do I know if I'm registered?

Check Georgia's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov. Enter your name, county and date of birth. It shows whether you're registered, your polling place, your sample ballot and the status of any absentee ballot.

The deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election was Oct. 5. If you're not registered, you can't vote in this election, but you can register now for future ones.

2. What ID do I need?

Georgia requires a photo ID to vote in person. Any one of these works:

• A Georgia driver's license, even if it's expired
• Any valid state or federal government photo ID, including a Georgia ID card
• A valid U.S. passport
• A valid U.S. military photo ID
• A valid tribal photo ID
• A valid photo ID from a federal, state, county or city government employer

No ID? Georgia gives out a free voter ID card at your county elections office or any Department of Driver Services location. Bring a document with your full legal name and date of birth, proof that you're registered, and something showing your home address.

3. When can I vote early?

Early voting runs Tuesday, Oct. 13, through Friday, Oct. 30. State law requires counties to offer early voting on weekdays and on two Saturdays (Oct. 17 and Oct. 24), at least 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many counties stay open longer, and some add Sunday voting.

Hours and locations vary by county, so check your county elections office's website or the My Voter Page.

4. Can I vote at any early voting site?

Yes, as long as it's in your county. During early voting, you can vote at any early voting location in the county where you're registered.

On Election Day, it's different: you must vote at your assigned polling place. Find it on the My Voter Page.

5. What are the hours on Election Day?

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. If you're in line by 7 p.m., you get to vote, so don't leave the line.

6. I moved. Where do I vote?

It depends on where you moved and when:

• Within the same county, and you didn't update your address at least 30 days before the election: you can vote at your old polling place this time. Update your address too.
• To a different county within 30 days of the election: vote in your old county this time (in person or by absentee ballot), then register in your new county.
• To a different county more than 30 days before the election: you needed to register in your new county by the Oct. 5 deadline. Call your new county's elections office to check your status.

When in doubt, call your county elections office before you go.

7. What's a provisional ballot?

If you show up and there's a problem, like your name isn't on the list or you don't have your ID with you, you have the right to vote a provisional ballot. It's a regular ballot that's set aside until your eligibility is confirmed.

For it to count, you must fix the problem, such as showing your ID or proving your registration, at your county elections office within three days after Election Day.

8. How do I vote by mail?

• Request an absentee ballot by Friday, Oct. 23. Apply online through the Secretary of State's website or with a paper application from your county. You'll need your Georgia driver's license or state ID number, or a copy of another acceptable ID if you don't have one.
• Return it so it arrives by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. A postmark isn't enough; it must be received by then. Mail it early.
• Drop boxes are inside early voting locations and are available only during early voting hours.
• Track your ballot on the My Voter Page.

9. What can't I do at the polls?

• No phones or cameras while you vote. Georgia law bans using cellphones and cameras while voting, and taking a picture of your ballot is illegal. Look up your sample ballot beforehand and bring a paper list of your choices instead.
• No handing out food or water near the polls. It's illegal to give voters food or drinks within 150 feet of a polling place. Poll workers can set up self-serve water stations.
• No campaigning inside the polling area. Campaign workers must stay back from the polling place.

10. I'm 75 or older, or I have a disability. Do I have to wait in line?

No, not on Election Day between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Georgia law lets voters who are 75 or older, and voters with disabilities who need help voting, go to the next open voting booth without waiting in line. Just ask a poll worker.

If you need help marking your ballot, you can bring someone to help you. It can be almost anyone you choose, except your employer or a union representative. Every polling place also has an accessible voting machine.

11. Does my job have to give me time off to vote?

Usually, yes. Georgia law requires employers to let workers take up to two hours off to vote, as long as you give reasonable notice. Your employer can choose when you take the time.

The exception: if your shift starts at least two hours after the polls open, or ends at least two hours before they close, your employer doesn't have to give you time off. The law doesn't say the time must be paid.

12. Can I vote if I've been convicted of a felony?

Yes, once you've completed your entire sentence, including any prison time, probation and parole. Your right to vote comes back automatically, but you must register again.

Owing fines, fees or restitution doesn't stop you from voting once your sentence is complete. And if you're serving a First Offender sentence, you may not have lost your right to vote at all. Check with your county elections office.

One more thing: you don't have to vote in every race

You can skip any race you're unsure about, and the rest of your ballot still counts. If no candidate wins more than half the vote in a race, there's a runoff on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Who to call

• Your county elections office: in Columbus, Muscogee County Elections & Registration, 3111 Citizens Way, 706-653-4392.
• Georgia Secretary of State voter line: 877-725-9797.
• Your ballot, polling place and registration: mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Read our full guides: Georgia's Nov. 3 Ballot, Explained: Every Statewide Race in Plain English; Early Voting in Columbus Starts Oct. 13; and Georgia's 3 Constitutional Amendments, Explained.