All eligible voters who are registered to vote by October 4, 2021 in a Georgia county or city holding an election can vote! Not sure if you have an election in your community? Check your My Voter Page.

Yes! Early voting is happening now, including Saturday, October 23. Early vote hours vary by county. Find a convenient location in your county by clicking here or contacting your County Elections Office. If you would prefer to vote on Election Day, find your municipal polling location here.

If you requested a mail-in ballot, regularly check My Voter Page to see if it has been processed. Once it arrives, complete and return it right away! If you have NOT requested a mail-in ballot, you must make a plan to vote early NOW through Friday, October 29 or on Election Day, November 2. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Friday, October 22.

Check out FAQs here or call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

Municipal elections, often referred to as “local elections,” are where members of a community vote for candidates to represent them at the city, county, or other local level. Only voters who are registered to vote in the relevant municipality are eligible to vote in municipal elections.

Whether you have concerns about trash pick up in your neighborhood, the quality of your children’s education, or county property tax changes, these issues are often legislated and mitigated by people elected at the municipal level. These elected officials play a critical role in the political ecosystem of cities and counties across Georgia. Much of our day to day lives are regulated in part by people elected at the local level — whether it be a City Council member working to fix potholes on your streets or your School Board officials prioritizing new initiatives to encourage better public education.

Additionally, the people elected to  lead your community are often approachable regarding  your personal experiences, feedback and opinions. The people elected in these local elections are also generally more able to push for better funding and support for their community or to mitigate the harms of bad policies that might come from elsewhere, including the state or federal government. Getting involved and voting at the local level will lead to better government for all members of Georgia’s many diverse communities. That starts with voting in every election —including this year’s municipal election.

Below are general overviews of what some common local elected officials do once they are elected. Your particular city, county, or other local office may differ — these descriptions provide a broad understanding of some of the important local roles you may see on your ballot this fall.

The city council proposes, writes, and advances legislative measures to better the lives of the residents of their city. City councilors work to make the creation and passage of legislation run smoothly. They are also often responsible for creating and passing a city’s budget to ensure funds are appropriated to address a community’s competing needs. City councilors are the people elected to help ensure that everyone’s voice is represented in a city’s local government.

The responsibilities of the mayor include presiding over all meetings of the relevant city council, ensuring that city departments run smoothly, helping to build a sense of community, and providing leadership and services to local citizens. The mayor serves as the official spokesperson for the city government. The mayor is often empowered with the authority to vote in the event of a tie in the city council and may have veto power over legislation approved by the city council. The mayor in most cases is also responsible for signing contracts, ordinances and other instruments executed by the governing body which by law are required to be in writing.

Depending on the locality’s form of government, the mayor’s executive duties may range from largely ceremonial (as in the council-manager form of government) to managing day-to-day operations (as with the “strong mayor”/Mayor-Council form of government). Under the council-manager form of government, the mayor provides general oversight for executive functions but assigns day-to-day administrative duties to an appointed, professional manager.

The School Board is responsible for ensuring quality education for the students of the community by addressing a variety of issues that impact local public schools. The school board is accountable for the performance of schools and students within a municipality or county.

The school board members perform a number of tasks, such as hiring and evaluating the superintendent of the school district, approving course materials, approving budgets, supporting teachers and staff, and establishing school district policies. 

School board officials are elected to represent their values and vision for the schools. In order to ensure the success of students and schools, it is important that school board officials develop and maintain strong relationships with the superintendent, teachers, students, parents, and members of the community.

The 2020 election and runoff proved what many Georgians have already known for a long time: every person’s vote matters and makes a lasting impact. Federal elections can be decided by a mere thousand voters across a state, but for city and county elections, the difference between a candidate winning or losing can come down to one single vote. To vote in every election is essential to ensuring that one’s voice is heard, and one’s viewpoint is represented. Exercising the freedom to vote is one of our most immediate ways to affect meaningful change in our communities, and this year is no exception.

All eligible voters who are registered to vote by October 4, 2021 in a Georgia county or city holding an election.

Contact your County Elections Office or check online.

Voters must be registered in Georgia by October 4, 2021 in order to vote in the November 2, 2021 election.

Early in person voting is happening now. All counties will offer early voting on Saturday, October 23. Early vote hours vary by county. Check your early voting locations and times by contacting your County Elections Office, by checking your My Voter Page, or searching for early vote options in your county. The last day to vote early in person is Friday, October 29, 2021.

Early voting is available on Saturday, October 23, 2021. Locations and hours vary by county. Some counties also offer early voting on Sunday, October 24. Check your early voting locations and times by contacting your County Elections Office, by checking your My Voter Page, or searching for your county’s early vote options.

Check your early voting locations and times by contacting your County Elections Office, by checking your My Voter Page, or searching for your county’s early vote options. The last day to vote early in person is Friday, October 29, 2021.

To vote-by-mail (also called voting by absentee ballot), a voter requests a mail-in ballot by submitting an application to their local county elections office. Once the application is processed, the mail-in ballot is mailed to the voter. The voter must then complete the mail-in ballot and return it so that it is received before 7:00pm on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

The last day an application for an absentee ballot will be accepted is October 22, 2021. We recommend that you vote early in person. To learn more about your options to vote early, contact your County Elections Office or search for your county’s early vote options.

After Friday, October 22nd, you can no longer request your mail-in ballot. Fair Fight recommends that you have a plan to vote in person and that you vote as early as possible. If you have already requested your mail-in ballot, it must be returned to your County Elections Office by 7:00pm on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. If you do not receive a mail-in ballot, or prefer to vote in person, plan to vote in person during the early vote period NOW through Friday, October 29th or on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2021. If you have any questions, please call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).

Check your mail! Ballots have started going out. If you have any questions about the status of your application or if you have requested but not received your ballot, you should call your County Elections Office. You can find their contact information here. For other questions, please call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).

Please call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

You must complete the mail-in ballot and return it to your County Elections Office before 7:00pm on Election Day, November 2, 2021. A secure ballot drop box is available in your county through Friday, October 29. Contact your county elections office to find the location and hours of the secure drop box.  If you mail your ballot, it must be received by your county elections office by 7:00pm on Election Day, November 2, 2021.

Complete and return your mail-in ballot right away so that it has plenty of time to be delivered.

Call your County Elections Office as soon as possible for assistance replacing your ballot. You can find their contact information here or call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). And don’t worry, you can still vote in person! Bring your “un-voted” mail-in ballot to your polling location so that your mail-in ballot can be canceled and you can vote on the machines. If you don’t have your “un-voted” ballot, you can sign an affidavit at your polling place to cancel your ballot and you will be able to vote in-person.

Check your My Vote Page. If you have questions, call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).

If you requested a mail-in ballot but didn’t receive it or need to vote in-person, you can still vote in-person during early voting or on Election Day. Bring your “un-voted” mail-in ballot to your polling location so that your mail-in ballot can be canceled and you can vote on the machines. If you don’t have your “un-voted” ballot, you can sign an affidavit at your polling place to cancel your ballot and you will be able to vote in-person. Canceling your ballot at the polls may lead to additional wait times, so we encourage voters who receive a mail-in ballot to vote with their mail-in ballot if possible.

You can still vote. When you vote (whether in-person or with a  mail-in ballot), your registration status will be changed to “active.”

Call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).

Call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE).