Secretary of State Kemp Reminds Voters about the Start of Absentee Voting and Important Dates for Presidential Preference Primary

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp reminded voters today that absentee voting by mail for the March 6, 2012 presidential preference primary will begin Saturday, January 21, 2012. Voters can request an absentee ballot through Friday, March 2, 2012.

Georgia residents must return their absentee ballot to their county election office by close of polls on Election Day, March 6, 2012. Absentee ballots cast by overseas and military voters must be postmarked on or before March 6, 2012, but will be accepted until the end of business on March 9, 2012. Voters are not required to provide a reason when requesting an absentee ballot.

Voters can obtain an absentee ballot request form from the Secretary of State’s website: sos.ga.gov. The form must be completed and returned to the voter’s county election office. County election office personnel can also provide absentee ballot request forms.

Citizens who are eligible to vote but have not registered may register through Monday, February 6, 2012. Voter registration forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

In-person advance voting for the 2012 presidential preference primary will begin Monday, February 13, 2012.

Secretary Kemp reminded voters to utilize the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page (MVP) voter education website before participating in the presidential preference primary. The MVP website allows voters to view their sample ballot, find the in-person advance voting locations in their county and their Election Day polling location, check their registration status, track the status of their absentee ballot, and more. The MVP website can be accessed at sos.ga.gov/mvp.

Additionally, Georgia’s eligible military and overseas citizens who have requested an absentee ballot can obtain their ballot electronically for the presidential preference primary beginning January 21, 2012.

The Secretary of State’s Office has created two tutorial videos that specifically address absentee ballot voting options for Georgia’s military and overseas citizens. To view these videos please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

To obtain a presidential primary ballot electronically, Georgia’s military and overseas citizens must request an absentee ballot from their county election office, be sure to indicate a political party preference, and check the appropriate box to receive their ballot electronically. They can then log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. Further, military and overseas voters may receive access to absentee ballots for an entire year’s election cycle, removing the need to submit multiple ballot requests.

The Secretary of State’s Elections Division website also features a “Military and Overseas Voters” page that includes:

•Who qualifies as a military or overseas voter, and how to request and return an absentee ballot;
•Downloadable absentee ballot request forms;
•Contact information for your county election office; and
•Important links to state and federal voting information.

Brian Kemp has been Secretary of State since January, 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives.