UNDERSTAND YOUR VOTING RIGHTS

In Georgia, a felony conviction does not disqualify you from voting unless you are actively serving your sentence (either in custody or on paper.) This means that if you are in pretrial diversion, participating in ATL Court, or have been convicted of a misdemeanor, you still retain your voting rights (unless you are actively serving a sentence for a felony conviction from any court.)

In addition, as long as you are not serving a sentence for any felony conviction, you can vote if you have been arrested for a felony and are on bond or in custody but not yet convicted. If you have been sentenced in state court under the First Offender Act or conditional discharge or via a nolo plea, you are still eligible to vote. You can register by mail or online via the Georgia Secretary of State’s website. If you are already registered but incarcerated, you can vote via absentee ballot. However, you must request the absentee ballot through the Georgia Secretary of State website in order to do so.

Georgia requires photo identification to vote in person. Acceptable IDs include:

• Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID
• Georgia driver’s license (even if expired)
• Free ID card from your county registrar or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
• Student ID from a Georgia public college or university
• Employee photo ID from the U.S. government, Georgia or any local government in the state
• A valid U.S. passport
• U.S military ID with a photo or a tribal photo ID with a photo.

You are only required to bring one of these IDs when you vote.

When applying for an absentee ballot, include your driver’s license or state ID number. If you cannot provide any of these, you may provide a copy or photo of one of the acceptable IDs listed above. Alternatively, you can use documents that show your name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, a paycheck, or other government documents.