Absentee Voting by Mail

Absentee voting by mail is an easy and convenient way to vote in any election. All eligible voters may request and vote an absentee ballot by the mail without specifying a reason for their absence from the polling place on Election Day. If you will be away from Habersham County on Election Day, are unable to go to the polls, or simply want to cast your ballot early, you may vote an absentee ballot by mail.

Absentee voting begins 25 days before a county, state, or federal election and 22 days before a municipal election. The voting schedule will vary for special elections.

Applications for absentee ballots by the mail can be accepted for an Election up to 78 days prior to that Election.

To request a ballot be mailed to you complete an application and submit it to the Habersham County Office of Elections and Registration.

The application to receive an absentee ballot by mail can be accessed by clicking here to download or you may write a letter to apply for an absentee ballot. The letter must contain sufficient information for proper identification of the voter including:

Your name
Your birth date
The address at which you are registered to vote
The election(s) for which you are requesting ballots
The address to which the ballots should be mailed
The reason for requesting the ballot, if applicable
A political party type for primary elections
Your signature
Your Drivers License

Mail the request or hand-deliver to:

Habersham County Elections & Registration Office
403 Habersham County Shopping Center
Cornelia, Georgia 30531

Or by fax at: 706-754-5836

Or by scan and email

Or by electronic submission - Voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. Section (only).

YOU MUST SIGN THE APPLICATION BEFORE YOU RETURN IT.

The last day an absentee ballot can be mailed is always 11 days prior to Election Day. No absentee ballots can be mailed to voters or voted in person on the Monday before any election. The county election office must receive all absentee ballots before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Exception: Ballots received from military and overseas voters will be accepted up to 3 days after an election if postmarked by Election Day.

Special Provisions

65+ Voters or Disabled Voters
Georgia law does not require a reason to vote an absentee ballot; however, the law does extend special privileges to voters who provide certain reasons. These reasons benefit voters who use them when they apply for absentee ballots and make absentee voting even more convenient.

Voters who indicate the reason of 65+ or Disabled on the absentee request/application are eligible to submit one annual absentee ballot application that will be used for all elections in the calendar year. These voters must indicate the desire to receive all ballots when submitting the application; otherwise, a separate application must be submitted for each election.

Exception: A separate application for an absentee ballot is always required for the presidential preference primary and special elections.

PROVISIONAL BALLOTS

The Secretary of State’s Office has established a secure website and free-access telephone number for provisional ballot voters to access to determine whether their provisional ballots were counted and if not, the reason why.

The website is http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/check_your_provisional_ballot_status_for_november_6_2018_election

The free access number is 1-844-537-5375.