Friday the final day for early voting in metro Atlanta

October 12, 2021 Atlanta: Kimberly Underwood (left) and sister, Mary Wallace Underwood leave the Buckhead Library located at 269 Buckhead Avenue NE in Atlanta after voting on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 as early voting locations opened across Georgia on Tuesday, kicking off a three-week sprint before election day on Nov. 2. Featuring the race for mayor of Atlanta and local contests statewide, the elections will be the first time many voters go to the polls since the General Assembly passed Georgia’s new voting law in March. Voters will decide on mayors, city councils, school boards and tax referendums. Early voting locations, hours and sample ballots are available online on the state’s My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov. Voters must cast ballots in the counties where they’re registered. Changes to voting laws affect early voting in several ways. The minimum early voting hours are set at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and counties can offer up to 12 hours of daily early voting, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In previous elections, early voting times were required “during normal business hours,” but those hours weren’t defined. Early voting will also be offered on two Saturdays, and local election offices have the option of providing voting hours on Sundays as well. Before the law, one Saturday of early voting was required. Early voting is available from Oct. 12 to Oct. 29. Absentee ballots are also being mailed to voters this week. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)