COLUMBUS, Ga. - Georgia voters who cast a ballot in person on Tuesday, Nov. 3, must show a photo ID, and the Georgia Secretary of State lists seven kinds of ID that count. Voters who don't have one can get a free Georgia voter ID card at the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office or a Department of Driver Services office. A voter who shows up without ID can still cast a provisional ballot, but it counts only if the voter gets a copy of a valid photo ID to the county registrar within three days of the election.

The rules come from Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 21-2-417, and from guidance posted by the Secretary of State and the Muscogee County elections office. Nov. 3 is the date of Georgia's general and special election. Here are the answers to 10 common questions about voter ID and the related deadlines.

1. What photo IDs does Georgia accept?

The Secretary of State lists seven acceptable forms of photo ID for voting in person. They are any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card from a county registrar or the Department of Driver Services; a Georgia driver's license, even if it has expired; a student ID from a Georgia public college or university; a valid employee photo ID from the federal government, the state, or a Georgia county, city, board, authority or other public entity; a valid U.S. passport; a valid U.S. military photo ID; and a valid tribal photo ID. The Muscogee County elections page lists six of these and leaves out the student ID, so this guide follows the Secretary of State's list of seven.

2. Does an expired Georgia driver's license count?

Yes, it does, according to the Secretary of State. The state's list says a Georgia driver's license is accepted "even if expired." The other IDs on the list, such as a passport or a military ID, must be valid.

3. What if I don't have any of those IDs?

Georgia offers a free voter ID card. The Secretary of State says it is issued at no cost at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services office, and the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office provides it in Columbus. The card stays valid as long as the person lives in the same county and remains qualified to vote.

4. What do I need to bring to get the free card?

The Secretary of State lists four kinds of documents. They are a photo identity document, or an approved non-photo identity document, that shows your full legal name and date of birth; documentation showing your date of birth; evidence that you are a registered voter in Georgia; and documentation showing your name and home address. The Muscogee County elections office lists the same four requirements.

5. What happens if I get to the polls without an ID?

The Secretary of State says a voter who has time to find a valid photo ID and come back can vote normally. If not, the voter can cast a provisional ballot after affirming that he or she is the voter on the voter roll. That provisional ballot counts only if the voter provides a copy of a valid photo ID to the county registrar's office.

6. How long do I have to get my ID to the registrar?

The Secretary of State says a voter must send a copy of a valid photo ID to the county registrar's office within three days of the election for a provisional ballot to count. The state's general guidance says a provisional ballot counts if the registrar can determine the voter's eligibility within three days after Election Day. Voters who are unsure of the exact cutoff can call the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office at 706-653-4392.

7. What are the poll hours?

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. is still allowed to vote. On Election Day, voters must go to their assigned polling place, and the Secretary of State's My Voter Page shows where that is.

8. When is the absentee ballot deadline?

The Secretary of State's absentee guide says a voted ballot must be received by the county registrar no later than the close of the polls on Election Day, which is 7 p.m. Ballots can be returned by mail or placed in a ballot drop box. Military and overseas ballots are an exception: the Muscogee County elections office says they are accepted up to three days after an election if they are postmarked by Election Day.

9. Do absentee voters need ID, too?

Yes, Georgia law requires photo identification when voting absentee as well as in person. The Secretary of State says absentee voters must include a driver's license number, a free state ID number or a copy of an acceptable ID. The state also says absentee applications must be made at least 11 days before an election, and for Nov. 3 that window closed Oct. 23.

10. Where is the Muscogee County elections office?

The Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office is at 3111 Citizens Way in Columbus. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on holidays. The phone number is 706-653-4392, the email is [email protected], and the Secretary of State's elections division can be reached at 404-656-2881.

After the polls close

The Muscogee County elections office says absentee ballot tabulation begins at 10 a.m. Nov. 3 at the City Services Center on Citizens Way. The county elections board meets Nov. 9 at 3 p.m., and it certifies results after that meeting. Results are unofficial until they are certified.

## How we did this Columbus Times used the Georgia Secretary of State's pages on voter ID, provisional ballots, absentee voting and how to vote, along with the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office pages on in-person voting, absentee voting, contacts and frequently asked questions. When the state and county pages differed, as they did on the number of accepted IDs and the absentee deadline wording, this guide used the Secretary of State's version and says so. The Oct. 23 date is our math from the state's 11-day rule, and all facts were checked Oct. 27, 2026.