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Dec. 7, is the last day to register to vote in the Jan. 5 runoff elections

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Dec. 7, is the last day to register to vote in the Jan. 5 runoff elections

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Sarah Elizabeth who said she voted early in the Nov. 3 elections wears patriotic socks while sitting in front of the Decatur Recreation Center on November 3, 2020. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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Decatur, GA — Monday, Dec. 7, is the last day to register to vote in the Jan. 5 runoff elections.

The elections include two races for U.S. Senate that could determine which party controls the Senate as well as a race for public service commission. If you believe you already are registered, it’s important to double-check. To check your voter registration, click the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page by clicking here.

To register to vote, click here.

In order to register to vote you must:

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– Be a citizen of the United States

– Be a legal resident of the county where you intend to vote

– Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote

– Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude

– Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge

Early voting begins Dec. 14. As of Dec. 7, the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections Department has published a list of early voting locations. To see that list, click here.

According to Howto.vote, if you’re requesting an absentee ballot in this election, it must be requested by Jan. 1. If you’re voting by mail, the ballot must be received by Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. Due to the tight window of time, it is strongly advised that you use an official absentee ballot dropbox if you plan to vote by absentee ballot. You can drop completed absentee ballots off now if you have them. To see an official list of dropbox locations, click here.

Absentee ballots can be obtained in the following ways:

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– Securevotega.com

“The Georgia absentee ballot portal will allow you to quickly request an absentee ballot and receive confirmation that your request is being processed,” the Securevotega.com website says. “Your secure ballot will be verified and fulfilled by your county elections office. No excuse absentee was established under then-Governor Sonny Perdue, and voted in support by the now Speaker of the House David Ralston. While we thank those two visionaries for expanding access to voting, Secretary Brad Raffensperger has placed additional security measures to ensure the integrity of the vote.”

To obtain your absentee ballot using this service, click here.

– There are other ways to request an absentee ballot this year, aside from using the service provided by the Secretary of State.

To obtain your absentee ballot application for DeKalb County, click here.

Absentee Ballot Applications can be emailed to [email protected]If you need another way to contact the Dekalb County Chief Registrar to give them your ballot application, visit this page and select “Dekalb” from the drop-down menu.

Important tips for requesting and filling out absentee ballots:

– If you are mailing or emailing an absentee ballot application, the signature on your absentee ballot application must match the one the county has on file for you or your application will be rejected. So use your actual signature, not the generic signature option provided via the PDF reader software you might be using.

– It is important to read all of the instructions prior to filling out and submitting your absentee ballot. Read them carefully.

– Ballots should be filled out using a black or blue ink pin. DO NOT use a pencil or a sharpie. Also, fill out the ovals completely. Do not make check marks or use Xs. 

Your absentee ballot will arrive in the mail and will include a sealed envelope for you to mail it or drop it off. Once you get it filled out, you can drop it off in the sealed envelope at one of the county’s dropbox locations.

Please vote in the Jan. 5 elections.

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