COLUMBUS, Ga. - Muscogee County voters have until Tuesday, Nov. 3, to cast ballots, and the county has already published the schedule for counting and certifying them. Advance voting ran from Oct. 13 through Friday, Oct. 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the elections office. Here is when the work happens, where it happens and who can watch.

Election Day hours

Georgia's official election page says polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters who are in line at 7 p.m. are allowed to cast a ballot. The county election notice calls the Nov. 3 contest a general and special election.

Voters who are not sure where to vote can find their precinct through their My Voter Page or by contacting the county elections office. The county's elections website is columbusga.gov/elections. The Georgia Secretary of State also keeps an Election Data Hub with absentee and advance voting numbers, which the county page links to.

How absentee ballots are handled

Under public notices the county posted, absentee ballot processing began Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. and continues until it is finished. Tabulation and adjudication of absentee ballots start Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. and also run until completion. Both steps take place in Council Chambers at the City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way.

A separate notice covers early tabulation of absentee ballots and advance voting, which also begins at 10 a.m. on Nov. 3. The notices cite Georgia law, sections 21-2-386(a)(2)(A) and 21-2-386(a)(3) of the state code. The public can observe, but observers are sequestered until the polls close.

Testing and oversight

The county began logic and accuracy testing of its voting equipment on Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. at the City Services Center. The testing continued at 5601 Veterans Parkway, and the public was invited to watch. Those tests are meant to confirm that the machines read and count ballots correctly before any voter uses them.

The Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration oversees the process. According to the county website, the board has five members: one from each of the two major political parties and three appointed by the Columbus Council. Its executive director is also appointed by the Council.

Certification on Nov. 9

The Board of Elections did not meet in October. Its next meeting is Monday, Nov. 9, with the county's website listing the meeting at 2 p.m. and certification of the Nov. 3 election at 3 p.m., immediately after the meeting. Certification is the board's formal sign-off on the final local count.

Results reported on election night are unofficial until that step is complete. Readers who want to see the certification vote can check the board's agenda on the elections website. The county election page also lists the time and place for each step, so voters can plan to watch the work in person.

Key dates

Source: Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration public notices and Georgia.gov, reviewed by The Columbus Times.