HOW TO REGISTER OR CHECK VOTING STATUS
April 21 is the deadline to register to vote in Georgia's May 20 primary. Anyone can confirm his or her voter status online through the Georgia secretary of state's website (www.sos.ga.gov). If you haven't already, here's how to register:
- Log on to the Georgia secretary of state's website and, under the elections tab, click "Register to Vote."
- Download and complete a voter registration application, then mail it in (http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Elections/register_to_vote).
- Contact your local county elections office, public library, public assistance office, recruitment office, schools and other government offices for a mail-in registration form. A list can be found at http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/countyregistrarsindex.asp.
- Check the "voter registration" box when you renew or apply for your driver's license through the state Department of Driver Services.
- College students can obtain Georgia voter registration forms or the necessary forms to register in any state in the U.S. from their school registrar's office.
Georgia residents for the first time can register to vote online and will also be able to access their voter information through mobile apps launched in time for the state’s May 20 primary election.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced the new digital push Monday as the service went live on his office's www.sos.ga.gov website under the "elections" tab. Anyone wanting to register needs a valid Georgia driver's license in order to use the online registration system. The deadline to register for the primary is April 21.
New Georgia voters can still use existing methods to register, including filling out a paper application or signing up through their local county elections office. Still, Kemp applauded online registration as a natural extension of the state’s 2010 launch of the online “My Voter Page,” where voters can confirm their status, check sample ballots and find poll locations.
Kemp had pushed for online voter registration since before the 2012 presidential election.
According to his office, counties will be able to process new registrations in the same way that the state Department of Driver Services sends electronic registration information.
Voters will also be able to download mobile “GA Votes” apps for both Apple and Android operating systems, which they can use to register or confirm their voter information. The Apple version is expected to be available as soon as this week in the iTunes app store. The Android version is available now.
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