Absentee ballots available. How to request one in Athens and Oconee County

Georgia voters this week can start requesting an absentee ballot ahead of the Nov. 8 midterms.

This year will be the first major statewide election since 2020, which was the most well-attended vote in the state’s history. And despite not having a presidential contest on the ballot this year, there are more than a few head-turning races.

Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams will get their gubernatorial rematch, and Georgia could again be the state that decides control of the U.S. Senate, as Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock face off.

Know the candidates: Who is running for Lt. governor, secretary of state, and attorney general in Georgia?

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More: Warnock, Kemp highlight voting issues early in 2022 Georgia reelection bids

This year's election comes with a few changes thanks to Georgia's 2021 election reform law, S.B. 202.

Under the new law, Georgia voters now have a 59-day window to request and return an absentee ballot instead of the previous window of 176 days.

Additionally, signature-match for absentee ballots is a thing of the past. Now, voters will be required to provide their driver’s license or state-issued ID number or a photocopy of another valid form of identification to request and to file an absentee ballot.

How to request an absentee ballot

To request an absentee ballot, voters fill out an application form.

The ballot application can be downloaded at the Secretary of State's website at sos.ga.gov. Once it's filled out, voters have a few options to get it to their county's Board of Registrars: email, snail mail, fax or in person.

For residents of Athens-Clarke County, the board of elections address is P.O. Box 1828, Athens, GA, 30603, but applications can also be faxed to 706-613-3840 or emailed to votebyabsentee@accgov.com.

In Oconee County, an application for a ballot can be mailed to P.O. Box 958 Watkinsville, GA 30677, emailed to absentee@oconee.ga.us or faxed to (706) 310-3486.

Additionally, the Secretary of State's office offers a totally online request form.

Request online: Georgia's online absentee ballot request portal

The online portal can be accessed via ballotrequest.sos.ga.gov. In order to request a ballot, voters will need a Georgia driver’s license or state-issued ID card.

The site asks voters to type in their name, date of birth and the number on their ID card. This information is matched with the voter records on file.

Returning completed absentee ballot

Once requested, counties will mail out the ballots four weeks before the election. Prior to the passage of S.B. 202, that window was seven weeks.

Voters in Athens can return the ballot to a drop box at Elections & Voter Registration Office at 155 East Washington St.

In Oconee county, ballots can be returned to the board of elections at 10 Court Street, Watkinsville, where there is a drop box available during early voting hours.

If a voter wants to use the drop box but is unable to return the ballot in person, only a roommate, immediate family member or caregiver can return the ballot for them.

If a voter decides they'd rather vote in person instead of casting their not-yet-returned absentee ballot, they must bring the absentee ballot to the polls and have an elections official spoil it before casting an in-person ballot.

Voters can check the status of absentee ballots at mvp.sos.ga.gov. If a voter has mailed a completed ballot, but it has not yet been accepted, voters can appear in person to cancel the ballot and cast their vote in person on Election Day.

The deadline to complete a ballot application has been moved up, as well. Previously, it was the Friday before Election Day, which was unfeasible, considering the time it would take to receive the ballot in the mail. Now, it’s two Fridays before Election Day.

Can I still use absentee ballot drop boxes?

Absentee ballot drop boxes can no longer be utilized on election day.

The drop boxes were officially codified by 2021's SB 202 elections bill, but it also restricted their use to the early voting period, which begins on Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 4.

The drop boxes were originally an emergency measure put into place in 2020 for those who didn’t want to risk exposure to COVID by voting in person or risk their ballot arriving late in the mail.

Previously, the boxes were required to be on government property with 24/7 camera surveillance. They never closed, and voters could drop off ballots at any time.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia election: Absentee ballots for November can be requested now