Getting Ready for Election Day

Election day, Nov. 3, is just around the corner. If you have not registered to vote, there’s still time.

Registration

First, is your voter registration up to date? If you should be registered in Georgia, check your voter registration status here. For other states, find your registration information through this list of resources.

Who is eligible to vote? To register in Georgia, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen.
• A legal resident of Georgia and the county in which you plan to vote.
• At least 17 ½ years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote.
• Not serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
• Not found mentally incompetent by a judge, unless the disability has been removed.

Voter registration is a county function, with counties issuing precinct cards after processing applications.

To register online, you need a valid driver’s license or identification card issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services with signature on file. The deadline to register online is Monday, Oct. 5.

You also may register by mail. Download, print, sign, and mail the application to your county registrar here.

Voting Absentee

To vote by absentee ballot, the ballot must postmarked by election day and delivered by 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. To request an absentee ballot, the information entered online must match your voter registration record.

In Georgia, any registered voter can vote by absentee ballot — unlike some states, which require voters to provide a justification for requesting one. Georgia voters can request an absentee ballot here or at ballotrequest.sos.ga.gov.

Dates to Note

Important dates related to the November General Election and Special Election in Georgia:

• Sept. 15 — Earliest day for a registered voter to mail an absentee ballot.
• Oct. 5 — Last day a person may register and be eligible to vote.
• Oct. 12 — Early (Advanced In Person) Voting begins. Look up locations for your county.

Georgia Tech encourages full participation in the electoral process. The Institute is looking for voting team captains — nonpartisan volunteers who help members of the Tech community register and vote. Sign up here.

Policies and Campus Resources

Per section 8.2.7.7 of the USG’s general personnel policies, employees are encouraged to exercise their constitutional right to vote in all federal, state, and local elections. Per section 4.1.3 of the USG’s general Student Affairs policy, students are also encouraged to vote in all federal, state, and local elections. A student whose class schedule would otherwise prevent him or her from voting will be permitted and excused absence for the interval reasonably required for voting. For more information, visit usg.edu.

This year, Georgia Tech’s Faculty Executive Board passed a motion brought forth by representatives from the Student Government Association (SGA), requesting that teaching faculty provide academic consideration for student voters on Election Day. Specifically, the SGA motion requested that, for Election Day, faculty move lectures to an asynchronous format; avoid scheduling in-class quizzes, tests, or assessments; and make lecture recordings available to students unable to attend class that day. The Faculty Executive Board passed the motion, clarifying that, although classes will still be in session Nov. 3, faculty members are strongly encouraged to consider making these modifications in order to give Georgia Tech students ample opportunity to participate in the election. Learn more about the motion.

A voter education town hall — "Your Power to Vote” — will take place for the campus community on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Additional campus resources related to voting information are available at http://gov.gatech.edu/vote.

The Student Government Association and Alpha Phi Alpha will host Wreck the Vote voter registration events in the coming weeks, as well as a debate with campus political organizations. More information will be shared soon.