Voting

Hi everyone! My name is Kennedy Baker, and I am a third-year Political science student with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State and a minor in Law, Ethics, and Philosophy on the Pre-law track. As a political science student, these past few months have been very exciting since it is a presidential election year! Voting is a core aspect of our democracy. Since my family and I moved from Ohio to Georgia in the summer of 2022, Georgia’s Fall 2022 Senate run-offs were my first time voting in Georgia. During that time, I enjoyed learning about Georgia’s electoral system, however as a political science student I know it’s not always easy navigating elections and voting. I hope this guide can help!

Step 1: Make sure you’re eligible to vote in Georgia. You must:

• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be a legal resident of the county
• Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote
• Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude
• Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge
• You can check your voter registration status and find voter ID requirements on the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

Step 2: Register to Vote

• (Deadline 10/7/2024)

Step 3: Check your precinct Card

• What is a precinct card: A record indicating your current registration information and status.

Step 4: Find your designated Polling station

• What are Polling stations: Designated locations for voters to cast their ballots on election day.
  • If you vote on Election Day (11/5/2024), you need to vote at your designated polling station.

Step 5: Create a voting Plan

• Absentee ballots:
  • What is an absentee ballot: A physical paper ballot completed and typically mailed in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls.
    • These are great options for out-of-state students!
  • Deadlines
    • Request Absentee ballots:  10/25/2024
    • Return ballot by mail (received by): 11/5/2024 close of polls
    • Return ballot in person (received by): 11/5/2024 close of polls
  • Early voting
    • What is early voting: A voting process where voters can vote prior to election day.
    • Early voting dates:
      • 10/15/2024 through 11/1/2024
    • Early voting stations
      • Early voters do not have to vote at an assigned polling location.
      • During early voting, you may vote at any early voting location within your county. Find available early voting locations by visiting the secretary of state’s website (https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/advanced-voting-location-information)  and selecting your county of residence from the list.
    • Election day in-person voting:
      • Election day: 11/5/2024
      • You must vote at your designated polling station on Election Day.

Step 6: Research the candidates

• Use diverse media outlets to learn about the candidates and their policies before voting.

For more information, make sure to check out https://georgia.gov/register-vote. Happy voting!