Georgians face Monday deadline to register to vote in Nov. 3 election

People line up last month during early voting outside the Gwinnett County Voter Registrations and Elections Office in Lawrenceville. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

People line up last month during early voting outside the Gwinnett County Voter Registrations and Elections Office in Lawrenceville. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

First-time Georgia voters or existing voters who have moved to a new county must register to vote by Monday if they want to participate in the Nov. 3 election.

Georgia’s voter registration deadline is Oct. 5, set by state law five Mondays before Election Day.

There are already over 7.4 million registered voters in Georgia, about 800,000 more than for the last presidential election four years ago.

All registered voters in Georgia are eligible to vote in person on Election Day, at early voting locations that open Oct. 12 or by absentee ballot.

But voters can’t cast a ballot until their registrations are processed through some backlogged county election offices. Those delays could hinder people attempting to vote in advance of Election Day.

Voters can check whether they’re registered online on the state’s My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

To be eligible to register to vote in Georgia, you must be a citizen, legal resident and more than 17 1/2 years old (though you can’t vote until you’re 18). In addition, you can’t be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony or found mentally incompetent by a judge. The secretary of state’s office recently clarified that people who have completed their felony sentences but still owe court fees or restitution can register to vote.

How to register to vote in Georgia

Check whether you’re already registered online at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Register to vote online if you have a valid Georgia driver’s license or identification card at registertovote.sos.ga.gov.

Print and mail a voter registration application if you don’t have a Georgia driver’s license or state ID. Paper applications can be printed from the Georgia secretary of state office’s website at sos.ga.gov/admin/files/GA_VR_APP_2019.pdf. Registration forms are also available at county elections offices.