ATLANTA, Ga. — Early voting begins today, and it seems that many of Georgia’s 7.6 million registered voters are expected to line up at the polls in person despite the threat of COVID-19.
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden took a closer look at what early voters can expect.
>>>> SCROLL DOWN for interactive voting map in Georgia <<<<
“I don’t trust the drop box. I want to make sure that vote gets counted, and I was to be there physically,” DeKalb resident Chanfra Hardeman said.
[Your Voice, Your Vote: Complete Channel 2 Action News coverage of 2020 Election]
Hardeman wasn’t alone in her thoughts.
“I like to be in person,” voter Calvin Cooper said. “You’re looking at the news and the post office having so many problems and stuff, so I’d rather just come here and put it in the machine.”
Over the last several weeks, Channel 2 Action News has spoken with dozens of voters from both parties.
[LINK: County-by-county absentee ballot drop box locations]
Some told us they are voting this year because of the presidential election, while others are motivated by two competitive U.S. Senate races.
There are also first-time voters like Roswell resident James Stevens, who turned 18 years old in August and is looking forward to next month’s election.
“It’s very empowering to see,” Stevens said.
Early voting for the general election wraps up the Friday before Election Day. But in the meantime, organizations, such as The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, are rolling out more than 100 vans to help transport 100,000 voters to the polls across Atlanta from now until Election Day.
Channel 2 Action News spoke with organizers on Saturday who said they’re planning on offering free transportation to voters in nine metro Atlanta counties. They will also have personal protective equipment, sanitizer and disinfectant.
So far, according to the state, more than 262,000 voters have already turned in absentee ballots to their county elections offices. Hundreds of thousands more ballots are in the process of getting mailed to voters.
As always, if you don’t want to request an absentee ballot during early voting, you can vote in person Nov. 3 on Election Day.
Vote
- View a list of upcoming elections and registration deadlines on the Secretary of State’s election calendar.
- Locate your polling place by logging into the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
- On Election Day, polling stations open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you can’t vote during those times, you can either vote early or send in an absentee ballot.
- When you arrive at your polling station, you’ll need to bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or voter identification card.
- The polls offer audio ballots for voters who are blind or have low vision and booths for voters in wheelchairs. If you need help with your ballot, you can ask a family member or friend to come with you to the polls and fill the ballot in with your choices.
- If you move, you must file a notice of your new address in writing to your County Board of Registrar’s Office, or submit a new voter registration application.
Information from the state of Georgia
Cox Media Group
