GA voters can now request an absentee ballot for the November election

ATLANTA — Georgia state officials announced that the Georgia Absentee by Mail Request Portal officially launched Monday morning.

“We’ve seen good success in the portal from previous elections,” Georgia’s Elections Director Blake Evans said.

Evans walked Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln through the application process.

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“Today is the first day, 78 days before the election,” he said.

The absentee by mail request portal requires users to submit their personal information like their driver’s license and contact information.

Once completed it will take you to a page where you will select the 2024 election ballot.

Evans said from there users should click the ‘next’ button.

Some users told Channel 2 Action News that the next button was not on their web page when attempting to apply.

“We didn’t have any technical issues with the site this morning,” Evans said.

The state said if users attempted to apply before 9 a.m. on Monday that could explain why they couldn’t proceed with the application process.

“According to Georgia law the time frame to be able to submit a request is from 78 days before the election, to 11 days before the election,” Evans said.

Evans says state law requires voters to sign their ballot with a pen.

If that’s not done an application will be rejected.

“Because of that we’re not able to use an electronic signature,” he said.

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Once an application is processed, it goes to a review screen with the applicant’s local registrar.

“And if they accept the application, then when ballots can be mailed out, for most voters that’s 29 days before the election,” Evans said.

The state is recommending those who need absentee ballots to apply early, because once the state approves the applications it’s up to the counties to issue the ballots according to their own time lines.

To apply for absentee ballot: https://georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot.

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