Still Waiting For Your Georgia Absentee Ballot? Here’s What You Should Do

Nearly 1.6 million Georgians have requested an absentee ballot for the June 9 primary, but with a week and a half to go, some voters say their county never processed their applications or they have not received their ballots and they are unsure how to proceed.

In Fulton County, elections director Rick Barron said at a Wednesday briefing that they finally cleared through a backlog of emailed applications and were processing requests for mail-in ballots as they were coming in.

But an unknown number of electronically-sent applications were never (or not-yet) processed, leaving many voters frustrated and with questions. State Sen. Jen Jordan (D-Atlanta) tweeted that her application was submitted more than two months ago and she never received a ballot.

Kaleb McMichen, communications director for House Speaker David Ralston, (R-Blue Ridge) said he submitted his application April 8. State records show it was processed May 25, 47 days later.

U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff is on the ballot June 9 and is one of dozens of voters that have contacted GPB News with concerns about their absentee application status. Ossoff and his wife emailed their applications on May 6 and have yet to receive a ballot – or even confirmation that one is in the mail.

In a letter shared with GPB News, he said that after calling his election office, he was told that ballots may arrive by the middle of next week, and if not he should plan on voting in person. Like many voters still waiting on their mail-in ballot, he said there is a lack of clarity on if and when things will come.

“Unless they call your office, Fulton County voters have no way to understand the current situation and timeline,” he wrote. “All affected voters deserve clear and direct guidance from your office to understand the status of their ballots and what steps they should take to ensure they participate in the election.”

It’s not just Fulton. As elections officials across the state are overwhelmed with a record number of applications and ballots, scrambling to secure voting locations that keep votes secure and voters safe and closing temporarily because of COVID-19, some things can fall through the cracks.

RELATED: Georgia Secretary Of State Says Shortest Line To Vote Is ‘At Your Kitchen Table’

But not everyone is a candidate who is able to get answers or point out issues, and not every question posed can only be answered by elections officials.

So here is a rundown of things you can do to check on the status of your absentee ballot, ways to follow up with local officials and other resources to join the hundreds of thousands of Georgians that have already voted in the election.

I applied for an absentee ballot and it has not yet arrived. What should I do?

Check the My Voter Page by entering your first initial, last name, county and birthdate. On that page in the bottom left, a section called “Absentee Ballot Request Information” has a link to your county elections office, a link to the application and your absentee ballot status.

If the status is not clickable and is greyed out, that means your county election office does not have an absentee ballot application for you, or has not processed it yet.

If your county office has processed your application, you will see the date it was received, the date the ballot was mailed and the date your elections officials have received your ballot once you return it. Be sure to check this page throughout the process to make sure there are no issues.

If you have any questions, the best place to start is by calling your local county elections office.

How can I return my absentee ballot?

One way is by mailing back your ballot with appropriate postage. Some counties have set up in-person drop boxes that allow you to safely return your ballot to county officials without the need for postage or to encounter long lines at the polls.

If you desire, you can also hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your county elections office.

When is the deadline for returning an absentee ballot?

Ballots must be received by county elections officials before the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, June 9. Early voting runs through next Friday, June 5.

I applied for an absentee ballot but now want to vote in person. What do I need to do differently?

Voting in person will take a little longer if you requested, but did not vote on, an absentee ballot. You will have to fill out an affidavit.

Where do I find my early voting location? My voting location for June 9?

On your My Voter Page, the precinct and polling place you are assigned to will show up. Also, many counties have changed the number of early voting locations as well as some Election Day polling places. Those can be found on your county elections office website.