Nearly 15,000 voters had cast early ballots as of Friday morning as Georgia prepares for a key April 18 special election that includes the nationally watched race to replace former U.S. Rep. Tom Price.
Early voting in Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties started nearly two weeks ago and will include this Saturday, when at least one polling location in each county will be open.
Early voting ends April 14.
The 6th Congressional District that Price represented covers parts of each of those three counties.
The other race on the ballot is for Senate District 32, which covers parts of Cobb and Fulton counties. Former state Sen. Judson Hill, R-Marietta, vacated the seat to join the field of 18 candidates running to replace Price.
Most of those voting early so far are casting their ballots in-person, although a number of absentee ballots have been requested but not yet returned.
According to the latest early voting numbers from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office:
- Number of ballots cast: 14,811
- Number of ballots voted in person: 12,331
- Number of mail-in ballots returned: 2,480
- Number of mail-in ballots outstanding: 6,145
How to vote early
Any voter registered in those districts can vote early.
Each of the three counties has at least one early voting location open, with both DeKalb and Cobb planning to open an additional site starting next week. Fulton County has several sites available. Be aware, however, that these are not your regular neighborhood polling places. The municipalities are only opening select sites during the early voting period.
Use the Secretary of State Office's online "my voter page" website (www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do) to find a sample ballot or specific early voting location.
You can also call your local elections office to find early voting locations or look for the "advance voting info" link under the elections tab of the Secretary of State Office's website (www.sos.ga.gov).
Don’t forget to bring photo identification, which can include a Georgia driver’s license, even if it’s expired; a state-issued voter identification card; a valid U.S. passport; or a valid U.S. military photo ID.
No “ballot selfies” are allowed at the polls, so wait to snap a photo until you’re outside. It is illegal in Georgia to take pictures of a ballot or voting equipment, but the Secretary of State Office has said it has seen voters in previous elections post “ballot selfies” on social media — something that could get you in trouble with the law.
Information about local elections and your “My Voter Page” can also be found on the free “GA SOS” app for your smartphone via iTunes or Google Play for Android.
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