Chattooga County voters planning to cast absentee ballots in the November 3 General Election have until Friday, October 23, to submit their applications.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, absentee ballot applications must be received by the county registrar by the October 23 deadline. Applications postmarked by that date but received afterward will not meet the deadline.

Georgia allows any registered voter to request an absentee ballot without providing a reason for voting by mail.

Voters can request an absentee ballot through the Georgia Secretary of State’s online absentee ballot portal or submit a completed application to the Chattooga County Registrar’s Office, located at 10017 Commerce Street in Summerville.

Applicants must provide identifying information, including their Georgia driver’s license or state identification card number, if they have one. Voters without either number must provide an acceptable alternative form of identification.

Election officials encourage residents to request absentee ballots as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for processing, mailing and returning their ballots.

Completed absentee ballots must be received by 7 PM on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. A postmark alone is not sufficient for most absentee voters. Ballots may be returned by mail or through authorized in-person return options.

Voters who prefer to cast their ballots in person can continue taking advantage of advance voting in Chattooga County through Friday, October 30. Advance voting is being conducted at the Registrar’s Office, with additional Saturday voting scheduled for October 24.

Residents can request an absentee ballot online at securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov and check their ballot status through Georgia’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov.