The last day of early voting in Georgia's General Nonpartisan Primary Election is Friday, May 17! Election Day is Tuesday, May 21. Voting by mail? All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on May 21. Be sure to mail your ballots early so they have time to arrive before the deadline, hand deliver to your county registrar's office, or drop your absentee ballot in a secured ballot drop box location. Each county has at least one secured drop box location. Find yours at Georgia's My Voter Page.

Georgia requires a photo ID to vote in person, and a driver's license number, state-issued identification number, or a copy of one of several accepted documents if voting by mail. Click here for a list of accepted forms of identification. Voteriders can help you obtain your state-issued ID, free of charge. Visit their website or call or text their helpline at 866-ID-2-VOTE.

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Did You Know?

Voting in Georgia with a Felony

Don’t let misconceptions about voter eligibility keep you from the ballot. Although over 4.6 million Georgians have a criminal record, MOST of us can vote! You CAN vote in Georgia with a criminal record, including a felony, as long as you are not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction and are NOT on probation or parole.

You CAN vote (with a felony) in Georgia if:

You are not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction.
You are "off paper" (completed incarceration, parole and probation). FYI: an expungement or pardon (or any other documentaton) is NOT needed to register to vote because your right to vote is automatically restored upon completion of your sentence. If you are not sure if your sentence is complete you can request a Certificate of Sentence Completion from the Department of Community Supervision (DCS). This Certificate confirms you are no longer under felony supervision and have completed your sentence. To obtain a Certificate, contact your original DCS probation office or your local probation office.
You are serving a felony First Offender or Conditional Discharge sentence and the status has not been revoked.
Your sentence is complete - your right to vote is automatically restored. You just need to re-register in order to vote.
You meet other requirements for voting and are registered. Check your voter status here or Click here to take a 15 second eligibility quiz!!

Early Termination of Probation: Currently on felony probation? You may qualify to have your probation terminated after serving three years on probation if:

All restitution is paid
No revocations in the last 24 months
No new arrests

Felony Disenfranchisement in Georgia

In a country that prides itself on democratic values and a government led by “the people,” Georgia's laws make the ballot hard to access for many due to its current voter suppression and disenfranchisement laws.

Felony disenfranchisement is the denial of voting rights on the basis of a felony conviction. Laws in 48 states ban people with felony convictions from voting. In 2022, an estimated 4.6 million Americans were considered ineligible to vote vote due to these laws or policies, many of which date back to the post-Reconstruction era.

Over 200 thousand Georgians cannot vote due to Georgia laws denying the right to vote to people with a felony conviction. Georgia disenfranchises its people at a rate exceeding the national average–3.1% of the state’s voting age population versus 2.0% nationally.

Black Georgians are significantly more likely to be disenfranchised, with 5.2% of Georgia’s Black voting age population currently denied the vote. Because Georgia denies the vote to all people in prison, on probation or parole, it is more prohibitive than 24 states and Washington, DC. (source: The Sentencing Project, 2023)

The Benefits of Restoring Voting Rights to Disenfranchised Georgians

When all Georgians are given the opportunity to be active, productive, and civically engaged members of our communities, our communities will thrive. With the ability to build collective power, we will see increased voter engagement and civic participation.

Voting Makes Communties Safer, Reduces Recidivism and Saves Taxpayers Dollars. Research shows that an opportunity to participate in democracy has the potential to reduce one’s perceived status as an “outsider.” The act of voting can have a meaningful and sustaining positive influence on justice impacted citizens by making us feel we belong to our community. Having a say and a stake in the life and well-being of one's community is at the heart of our democracy. Re-enfranchisement (restoring the right to vote) can facilitate successful re-entry and reduce recidivism, thereby reducing crime and the human and financial cost of mass incarceration.

Voting Stabilizes Communities by Increasing Productivity & Civic Engagement

Americans believe the bedrock of democracy is the right to vote. However, laws that exclude people from voting threaten this as it destabilizes communities and families, often for decades, by denying us a voice in determining our future and the future of our family.

Georgia should consider the importance of restoring the vote to people who have been convicted of a crime but who are now active members of our communities and who simply want to be successful in taking care of ourselves and our families. Being denied the opportunity to elect people who write our laws, policies that affect us and our families, blanketly excludes us from decisions that impact all our lives.

HOAPE Coalition

c/o Women on the Rise

1001 Virginia Avenue, Suite 203, Hapeville, GA 30354

404-783-8059

info@hoape4ga.org

Operating Hours

Mon - Fri

9am - 5pm

(closed the day before, the day of and day after major holidays)

Key Dates andUseful Links