Georgia voting issues

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Election and registration information

2008 Early voting

Starts Monday, September 22[1]. It’s easy and convenient and allows you to vote on a day and time that’s convenient for you! Simply visit your county’s early voting site (click here for a list of locations and hours of operation), fill out the application, and present one of the permitted forms of photo ID.

Advance vote week

Will be held from MONDAY, October 27, thru FRIDAY, October 31. Most counties will have multiple voting centers and even extended hours. Click here to check locations and times of operation for your county’s advance vote sites]. A photo ID is required to vote in person.

[http://www.sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/AdvanceVoting.asp

Voter ID requirements

The following types of identification are acceptable:

  • Valid Georgia driver's license
  • Valid photo ID card issued by any entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the United States
  • Valid U.S. passport
  • A government employee photo ID
  • Valid U.S. military ID card with photo
  • Valid Tribal ID with photo
  • Current utility bill showing name and address*
  • Valid government check or paycheck showing name and address*
  • Valid government document showing name and address*
  • Current bank statement*
Please note the above identification marked with an asterisk (*) may only be used one time by the first time registered voter.   
Voting in person after that requires photo identification.


2008 election events

  • Dec 3, 2008. A voter database error caused delays at about 20% of voter precincts in Columbus, GA during yesterday's runoff election. A database from the November 4 general election was duplicated for use in the primary; however, some voters who voted early in the general election were listed as having already voted in the runoff. The problem was discovered during tests on Monday, and affected voters were either offered provisional ballots or poll workers checked their voting status with the main election office. [2]
  • Nov 22, 2008. An easily-missed signature line on an RNC-designed absentee ballot application distributed as part of their GOTV effort has caused thousands of the returned forms to be rejected. As of November 22nd, 44% of returned cards in Cobb County and 56% in Dekalb County have been turned away, and other counties are reporting similar problems. Election officials and the state Republican Party are working to notify voters before the Nov 26 deadline.[3]
  • Nov 20, 2008. In southeast Georgia's McIntosh County, delays in delivering paper ballots and the late arrival of electronic voting machine technicians have postponed the start of early voting until Monday, Nov. 24, leaving only three voting days before December 2nd's runoff election. County election supervisor Doll Gale reported that Georgia's secretary of state would not allow the use of absentee ballots for early voting. In other parts of Georgia, there have been extensive reports of delayed mail delivery of requested absentee ballots.[4]

Runoff information

Georgia state law requires that any race in which a candidate does not receive a majority (50% + 1 vote) will require a runoff vote. [5]

  • If a runoff is required for the 2008 General Election, it will be held on December 2, 2008. [6]
  • To receive an auto-reply email from the Secretary of State's office containing the most recent vote tally in the 2008 Georgia Senate race, send a blank email to senate@sos.ga.gov
  • Georgia Secretary of State Karen C. Handel issued a press release on November 13, 2008, with the general election results and notice of early and advanced voting for runoff election. [7] Note: Early voting is held in fewer locations than advanced voting.
  • Georgia Secretary of State Karen C. Handel has published notice of early and advanced voting polling sites and times for the December 2, 2008 run-off election by individual county. [8] The entire state list is available in .pdf format. [9]
  • Runoff election registration deadline was Oct 6, 2008, same as general election. [10]
  • 173,000 overseas and military voters are eligible to cast ballots in the upcoming U.S. Senate Runoff Election in Georgia being held on December 2, 2008. Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) announced November 17, 2008 that a customized version of the newly upgraded Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot from OVF is available online. OVF's Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, developed with the support of The Pew Charitable Trusts' Make Voting Work Program, uses a Vote-Print-Mail Ballot system. Voters can simply point, click, vote and then print the ballot for faxing and mailing. The ballot postmark deadline is Tuesday, December 2, 2008 and the ballot has until Friday, December 5, 2008 to arrive at their election office. [11]

Voting machines

2008 election

For the 2008 election Georgia used the following voting machines. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Voting's Verifier tool.

Main article: Voting machines

Direct-Recording Electronic (DRE) machines without a paper trail:

Governmental election authorities

Contact information:

  • 2 MLK Jr. Dr. S.E.
  • Suite 1104, West Tower
  • Atlanta, Georgia 30334
  • Elections Division, (404) 656-2871. Fax: (404) 651-9531.
  • email: Use the form on the website to send an email message.


Election threats

Summary
  • On voter registration, Common Cause warns that parts of Georgia's voter registration system are "unsatisfactory".
  • On voter education, Common Cause criticizes Georgia's voter education preparedness.
  • On absentee and early voting, Gwinnett County must hand-copy more than 10,000 ballots because of flawed printing.
  • On voter suppression and intimidation, Common Cause rates Georgia "unsatisfactory" in areas of their protection of voters against intimidation and suppression.
  • On polling places and voting, Common Cause criticizes Georgia's polling place preparedness.
  • On provisional ballots,... (needs information)
  • On vote verification and security,... (needs information)
Main article: Georgia election threats


State and local non-governmental election organizations

Georgia for Democracy

Description: Georgia for Democracy helps ordinary citizens regain their voice in local government, and promotes progressive issues and values at the local level. We empower Georgia's citizens to engage the democratic process through:

  • Voter Education and Registration
  • Progressive Issue Advocacy
  • Community Development

Website: http://www.georgiafordemocracy.org/

Contact information:

  • Georgia for Democracy, Inc
  • 2020 Howell Mill Road
  • Suite C108
  • Atlanta GA 30318


Georgians for Verified Voting

Website: http://www.gaforverifiedvoting.org/

Description[12]: Georgians for Verified Voting advocates for voting systems/processes that meet the requirements for democratic elections. These systems must be:

  • Accurate
  • Auditable
  • Reliable
  • Transparent
  • Accessible

Contact Information:

  • GAVV
  • 4401 Shallowford Rd.
  • Suite 162-560
  • Roswell, Ga 30075


League of Women Voters

LWV of Georgia, Rebecca Wallace, President

  • PO Box 29751
  • Atlanta, GA 30359-0751
  • Phone: 678-547-0755
  • Fax: 678-547-0756
  • E-mail: lwvga@lwvga.org
  • http://www.lwvga.org

Local Leagues:


Voter GA Coalition (Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia)

Website: http://www.voterga.org/

Description[13]: Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia, VoterGA, is a diverse, non-partisan coalition of Georgia voters and organizations who filed a voting rights lawsuit against the current method of Georgia electronic voting that they contend cannot be properly verified, audited or recounted.

Contact Information: See Contact page.

Articles and resources

See also


References

  1. ↑ From Ways to Vote page.
  2. ↑ Chuck Williams and Tim Chitwood, Database error delays voters during runoff, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, December 3, 2008.
  3. ↑ Kent A. Miles, [http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/11/22/ballots.html?cxntlid=inform_sr "COBB COUNTY: Ballot requests run into a glitch"], The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 2008.
  4. ↑ Terry Dickson and Gordon Jackson, "Delayed delivery of ballots gives early voting late start", The Florida Times-Union, November 20, 2008.
  5. ↑ Official Code of Georgia Annotated, § 21-2-501, "Number of Votes required for Election"
  6. ↑ Georgia Elections Division, 2008 Election Event Dates, collected November 7, 2008.
  7. ↑ http://www.sos.georgia.gov/pressrel/20081113a.htm
  8. ↑ [http://www.sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/AdvanceVoting.asp
  9. ↑ http://www.sos.georgia.gov/elections/11_04_earlyvoting.pdf
  10. ↑ http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/elections_events.htm
  11. ↑ http://yubanet.com/usa/173-000-Overseas-and-Military-Ballots-at-Stake-in-Georgia-U-S-Senate-Runoff-Election.php
  12. ↑ From About page. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  13. ↑ From Press Releases page. Retrieved November 20, 2008.

External resources

Poll location

Election Protection hotlines

Voting information

Voting rights

Voting requirements

Election officials, election reform groups, and elected officials

Absentee voting

Disabled voters

Student voting rights

State ballot

  • See how organizations you trust recommend you vote on ballot measures and other statewide contests at TransparentDemocracy.

Languages

  • Help in other languages from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 中文, 日本語, 한국어, Tagalog, Tiếng Việt, Español

Voting machines

Election law


Voter ID Toolkit

External articles

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