Here’s plenty of warning if you want to vote in next year’s presidential election: Georgia’s new 2016 elections calendar gives you until Feb. 1 to register ahead of the crucial March 1 primary.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has also set key statewide and local dates for next year including candidate filing deadlines and runoff elections as needed.
Among Georgia’s key 2016 dates to remember:
- Presidential primary election: Feb. 1 (voter registration deadline); Feb. 8 (early voting begins); March 1 (election date); and March 28 (runoff date if needed).
- State and local primary election: April 26 (voter registration deadline); May 2 (early voting begins); May 24 (election); and July 26 (runoff date if needed).
- General Election (federal, state and local): Oct. 11 (voter registration deadline); Oct. 17 (early voting begins); Nov. 8 (Election Day); Dec. 6 (runoff date for local and state offices); and Jan. 10, 2017 (runoff date for federal offices)
Presidential candidates have already set their sights on Georgia and other Southern states participating in the so-called SEC Primary — a college athletics-themed primary on March 1 that was first proposed by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. Other states participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
To see the complete calendar, go to the Georgia Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ga.gov and click on "elections."
How to register or check voting status
Anyone can confirm his or her voter status online through the secretary of state’s website. If you need to register:
- For online voter registration, log on to the secretary of state's website and, under the elections tab, click "Register to Vote."
- Download a voter registration application (http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Elections/register_to_vote), complete it and then mail it in.
- 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.
- Use the state's "GA Votes" mobile apps to register or confirm your status. They can be downloaded free for both Apple and Android operating systems. Go to the iTunes app store for an iPhone or iPad, or Google Play for Android.
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