Frequently Asked Questions

Access My Voter Page using your name, county, and birthdate and check “Voter Participation History.”

If the election date is listed, your vote in that election was counted.

Don’t see the date listed? You may be able to “cure” your ballot so it counts, but the window is short. You only have until 5pm on the Friday after Election Day. Contact your county elections office immediately to find out what’s needed.

Georgia has several safeguards in place:

• Logic & Accuracy Testing: Every voting machine is tested using sample ballots to confirm it’s running state-certified software and tabulating votes correctly, before it ever touches a real ballot.
• County Certification (within 6 days of Election Day): Each county’s election board certifies its results. Georgia doesn’t automatically recount votes, unless one or both of the top two statewide constitutional races after county certification have a margin equal to or under 0.5%. A candidate can also request a recount if the margin is within 0.5%, and must do so within two business days of certification. Election officials can also call for a recount if they suspect an error.
• Risk-Limiting Audit: Risk-limiting audits are conducted for the top race on the ballot, a statewide race selected by the Secretary of State, and the following races if they appear on the ballot: U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General. For risk-limiting audits, county election officials manually review a random sample of paper ballots to verify that the reported results are accurate.
• ‍State Certification (within 17 days of Election Day): The Secretary of State certifies the final results.

Primary: Candidates from the same party compete to become that party’s nominee. You choose a ballot — Democratic, Republican, or nonpartisan (if applicable) — and vote within that race. The winners of each party’s primary then face off in the general election.

General: Nominees from each party (plus any independents) compete for the office.

Municipal: Local elections for city, county, or other local offices. Only voters registered in that specific municipality can vote in these elections.‍

Special: Held outside the regular election calendar to fill a vacancy or decide a specific issue. Common examples:

• An unexpected vacancy (resignation, death, or removal). The Governor issues a writ of election, and the date is set under Georgia law with a required public notice period.
• A local referendum (like a tax or school funding measure), scheduled and run by the county or city elections office.

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Runoff: Held when no candidate wins a majority (50%+1 vote). The top two finishers compete head-to-head.

A few things to know if you’re voting in a runoff:

• Can I vote by mail?
  
  • Yes, but the turnaround is tight. Apply as soon as you can.
• Do I need to have voted in the general election?
  
  • No. Any eligible registered voter can vote in the runoff.
• Can I vote early?
  
  • Yes, but the window is short, typically just the week before the runoff, depending on the county.
• There is no early voting on the Saturday, Sunday, or Monday immediately before Runoff Election Day.
• Where do I vote on Runoff Election Day?
  
  • At your assigned voting location in your county of registration. Look it up on My Voter Page.

A “voter challenge” is when one voter formally questions another voter’s eligibility to be registered to vote or vote in a particular election. A mass voter challenge happens when a single person challenges dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of voters in their county at once.

Challenges are filed with county elections officials in any of Georgia’s 159 counties. Georgia has more mass challenges than any other state, a trend that grew after lawmakers passed SB 202 in 2021, then made the process even easier for challengers in 2024 by passing SB 189.

‍See a full breakdown of how the voter challenge process works.

You should receive a letter from your county elections office. It will include:

• The reason for the challenge
• Who filed it
• The date, time, and location of a hearing where you are expected to show up in person to defend your eligibility to vote
• Sometimes, what documentation to bring

Note: Notification isn’t standardized across counties, so the process may look slightly different where you live.‍

Important: Getting this letter does not mean you’ve been removed from the rolls. It means you need to provide documentation to confirm your eligibility.

You have the right to a hearing before your county Board of Elections. Can’t attend in person? Many counties let you submit your information instead. Call your county elections office to ask about your options.

If you have questions, call or text the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

People who file mass voter challenges often rely on unreliable data to flag large numbers of voters at once. Being challenged is not the same as being removed from the rolls. It just means you’ll need to confirm your eligibility. ‍See a full breakdown of how the voter challenge process works.

Contact your county elections office as soon as you can. ‍Find the contact information for your county elections office here.

‍Since challenges go directly to the county, they can tell you if your voter status is being challenged by another person.

If you have additional questions or cannot get additional information from your county officials, please contact the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

There are many, but a couple of those are:

• Brennan Center for Justice Mass Voter Challenges and List Maintenance in Georgia
• WABE Mass Voter Challenges Explained

Find the information to contact your local county officials here.‍

If you have additional questions or cannot get information from your county officials, you can always contact the Election Protection Hotline number at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

Immigration enforcement is not allowed to operate at voting locations in Georgia or elsewhere. Under federal law, ICE agents are not supposed to make arrests, question voters, or conduct other enforcement actions at or near voting locations.

Georgia law allows county sheriffs to be present at voting locations. Their job is to maintain order, not to make arrests or serve warrants. Their presence can feel intimidating, but it does not mean any type of law enforcement action is happening.

If you have concerns about ICE at the polls, the SPLC Voter Safety Guide has more information.

Formally called the Board of Registration and Elections (BRE), this appointed body shapes how elections are run in your county.

County Boards of Registration and Elections are key to voting! Each board guides the policies for election administration in their counties, including but not limited to:

• Early voting locations and hours, ballot return locations, voting location changes, poll worker training, voting equipment, and voter communications.

Board members are typically volunteers or paid very little. They usually meet monthly, plus additional meetings to certify election results.‍

These meetings are open to the public, and public comment is allowed. You can, and should, attend to advocate for your community's voting needs.

• Contact your local elections office to find out when the board meets next.

Naturalized citizens are citizens and if you meet qualifications to vote (e.g., reside within a district and are registered to vote), then you’re eligible!