Absentee Ballots Voting By Mail
How do I vote by mail? Voting by mail is allowed for every election. Any eligible voter may vote by mail. Voting by mail does not require a photo ID. By completing an absentee ballot application, you begin the process to vote by mail.
Do I have to state a reason? A reason is no longer required to vote by mail in Georgia.
What if I am 75? A voter who is 75 or older, or physically disabled, may submit one application for more than one election.
What if I am military or an overseas citizen? A member of the U.S. military, a U.S. citizen residing overseas, or their eligible spouses or dependents may also submit an application for more than one election.
What exceptions apply? A separate absentee ballot application is required each year. In 2013, eligible City of Brunswick voters may use one application for the City Election and the City Runoff Election, as long as the voter meets the criteria for use of a single application and the appropriate reason is checked. A new application will be required for the 2014 election cycle.
What should I remember when I apply for my ballot?
Key Points If you will be away from your precinct on Election Day, you may request a ballot to be mailed to your out-of-county address. An absentee ballot application for a voter who is temporarily out of the county or who is physically disabled may be made by an immediate family member who is 18 or over. A ballot may not be mailed to an in-county address other than the voter s address as registered, unless the voter is physically disabled.
Key Points Applications must be filled out completely. The oath of elector on the yellow envelope must be completed, followed by the voter s signature or mark. If you are assisting someone with a ballot or an application, you must sign as the person assisting the voter.
How does a ballot become a vote?
Absentee Ballot Process Step One Absentee Ballot Application Obtained by Voter. Step Six Absentee Ballot Logged in and Verified by Registrar. Step Seven Absentee Ballot Placed in Ballot Box by Registrar. Step Two Absentee Ballot Application Completed and Submitted by Voter. Step Five Absentee Ballot Completed and Returned by Voter. Step Eight Absentee Ballot Removed from Ballot Box and Checked Against Numbered List by Election Day Absentee Poll Workers. Step Three Absentee Ballot Application Logged in and Verified by Registrar (Board of Elections staff member). Step Four Absentee Ballot Mailed to Voter. Step Nine Absentee Ballot Removed from Envelope by Election Day Absentee Poll Workers and Tabulated via OS Machine.
Step One Absentee Ballot Application is Obtained by Voter. Voter calls or writes the Board of Elections office to request an absentee ballot application. Or voter downloads an application at the Board of Elections website or Secretary of State s website.
Step Two Absentee Ballot Application is Completed and Submitted by Voter. Voter submits absentee ballot application to the Board of Elections office by mail, fax or hand-delivery. The application must be submitted within 180 days of election. If the application is submitted too early, it will be rejected.
Step Three Absentee Ballot Application is Logged in and Verified by Registrar. Information from the received application is entered into the computerized statewide absentee subsystem. The application is then verified against the voter s registration application on file in the Board of Elections office.
Absentee Ballot Mailed to Voter. Step Four If the application is accepted, the registrar (a Board of Elections staff member) prepares the absentee ballot and mails the ballot to the voter. The ballot is prepared according to the voter s precinct. (If the election is a primary, it is also prepared according to the voter s party preference as stated on the application.)
Step Five Absentee Ballot Completed and Returned by Voter. Voter returns the absentee ballot in the sealed yellow envelope by mail or hand-delivery to the Board of Elections office. If hand-delivered, the ballot must be handed to the registrar or absentee ballot clerk and logged in. The voter must hand-deliver his or her own ballot unless the voter is physically disabled.
Step Six Absentee Ballot Logged in and Verified by Registrar. When the ballot is received in the Board of Elections office, it is date-stamped, logged in on the computer, and verified against the voter registration application and the absentee ballot application. If the voter is disabled, the signature of the assisting person is also required.
Step Seven Absentee Ballot Placed in Ballot Box by Registrar. Once the ballot is verified and accepted, the registrar signs and dates the yellow envelope. The ballot is then placed in one of the ballot boxes, which are locked and sealed at the beginning of the election cycle.
Step Eight Absentee Ballot Removed from Ballot Box and Checked Against Numbered List. On Election Day, a team of absentee poll workers opens all ballot boxes and reconciles the number of ballots and the names of voters on the yellow ballot envelopes against computer reports and numbered lists from the absentee subsystem.
Step Nine Absentee Ballot Removed from Envelope and Tabulated by OS Machine. When the reconciliation process has been completed, the absentee ballots are removed from the yellow envelopes and the white inner envelopes. Ballots are stacked in groups of 25 and tabulated by the Opti- Scan machines, which read each ballot individually and record the votes by the voter s voting precinct.
Voter Assistance
Voter Assistance In a year with no federal candidates on the ballot (such as 2013), a voter who is disabled or illiterate may receive assistance in preparing his or her ballot from one of the following...
Voter Assistance, continued 1. Any voter who is qualified to vote in the same county or municipality as the voter who needs assistance (except a poll worker or a poll watcher).
Voter Assistance, continued 2. An attendant care provider or a person providing attendant care.
Voter Assistance, continued 3. An immediate family member (mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law) of the voter needing assistance.
Voter Assistance, continued The person providing assistance to the voter in preparing the ballot must sign the oath printed on the same envelope as the oath to be signed by the voter. No person shall assist more than ten such voters in any primary, election, or runoff in which there is no federal candidate on the ballot.
Voter Assistance, continued In federal elections, a voter who is physically disabled or illiterate may receive assistance from a person of the voter s choice, other than the voter s employer or agent of that employer or an officer or agent of the voter s union. There is no limit to the number of voters assisted in federal elections, providing that voters are eligible for assistance.
How should I return my voted ballot?
Returning an Absentee Ballot Georgia prohibits anyone other than the voter himself/herself from personal delivery of a voted mail-in ballot. However... delivery of the ballot of a physically disabled voter may be made by any adult person upon satisfactory proof that such person is the voter s mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-inlaw, brother-in-law, sister-in-law or an individual residing in the household of the disabled voter.
Returning an Absentee Ballot Mail-in ballots must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than close of the polls ( 7 P.M.) on Election Day. We urge you to complete your mail-in ballot and return it to our office as quickly as possible.
What if I am hospitalized?
The Hospitalized Voter A voter who is confined to a hospital on the day of an election or primary may request a ballot, which may be delivered by a registrar or absentee ballot clerk. The voter shall vote the ballot then and there, seal it properly, and deliver it back to the registrar or absentee ballot clerk.
Caution! Remember to carefully observe the rules for absentee voting especially the rules for voter assistance and delivery of a voted ballot. Remember to check your absentee ballot envelope to be sure you have completed the oath of elector and signed your oath.
Caution! The oath of elector contains these elements: A. The voter s street address. B. The county of residence. C. The voter s month and day of birth. D. The voter s signature or mark. E. And, if assisted, the signature of the person assisting the voter, his or her relationship to the voter and the reason for assistance.
Questions? Call our office. Glynn County Board of Elections and Registration 1815 Gloucester Street Brunswick, Georgia 31520 (912) 554-7060