NOTE – April 26th is the final day to register to vote in the local primaries (Chattooga County), which will be held May 24th

Voting in Georgia for the Presidential Preference Primary began 20 days ahead of the Iowa Caucuses, and 28 days ahead of the February 8, New Hampshire Primary date.

Georgians who want to vote now for a presidential candidate in the Democrat or Republican Preference Primaries can do so by voting a mail-in absentee ballot.

“In Georgia, we have a very responsive system for the public that allows voters to cast their ballot at their convenience. This, paired with our Online Voter Registration website (OLVR), gives unprecedented access to the polls for Georgia voters,” said Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

Georgia law allows for “no fault absentee voting” so registered voters can request a mail-in absentee ballot from their local elections office for any reason up to 45 days ahead of a federal election date. Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary is scheduled for March 1 as a part of the regional “SEC Primary”.

Advance in-person voting will begin on Monday, February 8, 2016, one day ahead of the New Hampshire Primary. This advance voting period will include Saturday voting in all counties on Saturday, February 20. The polls are open for advance in-person voting in every Georgia county during normal business hours.

Election Day polling will take place on March 1 when polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Voters can check their early voting or Election Day voting location as well as view a sample ballot on the Secretary of State’s MVP website:  http://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP. They can also register to vote at: https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR, or download the GA Votes app on their Apple or Android smartphone.

The voter registration deadline for the March 1 Primary is Monday, February 1, 2016. “I encourage voters who are excited about their candidate to take advantage of these early voting opportunities. Voters can also encourage their family, friends, and coworkers to use OLVR or GA Votes to ensure every eligible Georgia voter gets registered before this historic election.” 

(WRGA)