Election Day is Tuesday: How Georgia voters can cast their ballots for the Nov. 8 midterms

Adam Van Brimmer and Will Peebles, Savannah Morning News
·4 min read

Georgia's 2022 midterm election is imminent, and the ramifications of Tuesday's vote will shape the state’s political playing field for the next two years and beyond, with control of the governor’s office and potentially the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance.

This year will be the first major statewide election since 2020, which was the most well-attended vote in the state’s history. If early voting is any indication, this year's election will see record turnout for a midterm.

More than 2.5 million Georgians voter early in person or had returned absentee ballots as of Nov. 4, far surpassing the 2018 midterms. Only the 2020 presidential election, where 1.2 million voted absentee because of the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassed this year's early turnout. Voter participation in 2022 is ahead of the 2016 presidential election, when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were atop the ballot.

Early voting ended Friday, and absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. To return an absentee ballot, visit the Voter Registration Office, located at 1117 Eisenhower Dr, Suite E for Chatham County voters.

A guide to voter rights in Georgia: What you need to know before you cast a ballot

Check your registration status: Georgia Secretary of State's MyVoterPage

Voters leave the polling location at Coastal Cathedral Church pf God in Savannah after casting their ballots on Tuesday May 24, 2022 in the Georgia primary.
Voters leave the polling location at Coastal Cathedral Church pf God in Savannah after casting their ballots on Tuesday May 24, 2022 in the Georgia primary.

In-person voting

Polling places around the state will open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. If voters are in line by 7 p.m., they can stay until they cast their ballot.

Unlike early voting, in-person voting on Election Day must be done at an assigned polling place. Voters can find their polling place at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

A few things are prohibited at the polls. Under Georgia law, it is illegal to carry firearms within 150 feet of a polling place, or, if a line extends out the door of the polling place, within 150 feet of the end of the line.

Bring a state ID to vote

Those planning to cast an in-person ballot must present a photo ID at the polling place.

Valid forms of identification include a Georgia driver’s license — even if it is expired — a passport, military photo ID, an ID from any federal or state body of government, a government employee photo ID, or tribal photo ID.

Voters cannot wear clothing promoting any political candidates or political slogans, including facemasks.

Voters who show up to polling places but do not meet all the requirements can request a provisional ballot. Provisional voters must present a photo ID to the county registrar's office within three days of the election to have their ballots counted.

How to get a provisional ballot

Voters cast their ballots at the Progressive Recreation Center in Garden City, Georgia on May 24, 2022.
Voters cast their ballots at the Progressive Recreation Center in Garden City, Georgia on May 24, 2022.

If a voter is told by a poll worker their eligibility cannot be determined, the voter has a right to request a provisional ballot.

If a voter shows up to the wrong precinct, they can either go to the correct precinct or, if it is after 5 p.m., cast a provisional ballot at the incorrect precinct.

Any votes cast by a provisional ballot in the wrong precinct will not be counted unless it is cast between 5 p.m and 7 p.m. Otherwise, you'll be instructed to go to the correct precinct.

How to return an absentee ballot

Georgia's 2021 voting reforms, widely known as SB 202, altered the time to request absentee ballots. There’s no way to request an absentee ballot at this point, but for those who have yet to return their absentee ballot, there are a couple of options.

In addition to dropping off ballots at the Voter Registration Office, voters can decide to vote in person instead. However, 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.

Election law: How will Georgia’s new election law change absentee ballot voting, drop boxes?

Can I still use 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 early voting, which ends Friday.

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 Savannah Morning News: Georgia 2022 midterm general election: Here's how, where to vote