The Update - 10/5: GET REGISTERED TO VOTE AND OTHER INFO
Welcome to my freemium newsletter by me, King Williams. A documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host, and author based in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a newsletter covering the hidden connections of Atlanta to everything else.
What’s required to vote?
Good question. Depending on what state you live in, it can vary, some states have automatic voter registration, and some like Georgia do not.
You can check out the website I Will Vote to see what’s required for each state:
If you live in Georgia:
To register to vote you must:
Be a citizen of the United States
Be a legal resident of the county
Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote
Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude*
Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge
GET REGISTERED NOW:
https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcome.do#no-back-button
What if I am a convicted felon?
Another good question. Yes, you can vote in the state of Georgia but you need to register by the end of the day today.
Here’s what the State of Georgia says from the Secretary of State’s website:
* The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that in Georgia all felonies are crimes involving moral turpitude.
You are considered to have completed your felony sentence for the purpose of voter eligibility if you have completed any term of incarceration, probation, or parole and paid all fines, unless such fines are cancelled upon completion of your term of incarceration, probation, or parole (e.g., when the fines were imposed "as a condition of probation," they are automatically cancelled upon completion of probation).
Your felony sentence is considered completed even if you have outstanding monetary obligations other than fines, such as unpaid restitution, fees, costs, or surcharges.
What if I am a domestic violence victim or is hiding from someone?
This also varies by state but here’s where Georgia stands, anyone whose information is private due to things such as domestic violence, stalking, and witness protection needs to go through the VoteSafe program.
You can read more on this below:
https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/votesafe
What if I am on house arrest and want to vote?
Okay, this really varies by state to state so check out the link below,
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx
But if you live in Georgia, you DO NOT have your voting rights restored until you’ve completed your sentence and/or finished your probationary period.
What if I am disabled, not able to get to a polling place or a location to register?
This is tough but hopefully, this helps:
1) if you are physically able to do so, request your absentee ballot NOW, fill it out, then return it immediately.
2) Inform the postal worker and post office to
3) You can have someone else drop off your ballot for you
What if I require personal assistance, how can I verify that my information is sent or received?
Tough and depending on your physical ability you may still have to go down to your county’s board of elections or constantly call, tweet, and/or email to get a response.
If still nothing, go to your local tv station, the local paper, news radio, and raise your voice until it is heard.
I keep getting the runaround, who can help me now?
Fair Fight Georgia, the ACLU of Georgia (or the National ACLU, the NAACP, and the New Georgia Project.
How to register
1) In Georgia:
Just visit the Secretary of State’s website, it takes a few minutes and you could do so in the link below:
https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcometoga.do#no-back-button
2) For other states you can visit:
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
3) Military:
You will likely need to fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA):
https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca.pdf
AND
visit your home state for requirements as well:
4) Overseas:
https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter
Finding my polling location
1) In Georgia:
https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
2) Other states:
https://www.nass.org/can-i-vote/find-your-polling-place
3) Military:
*You do not have a polling place, you are using an absentee ballot.
4) Overseas:
*You do not have a polling place, you are using an absentee ballot
Absentee ballot info
You can read more by again visiting I Will Vote.
In Georgia, you can request by clicking on the link below from the Secretary of State:
https://ballotrequest.sos.ga.gov/voter/voterSearch
What am I voting on?
Nationally
President (1), Vice President, (1), US Senators (2), US Congresspersons (1)
Statewide
State House Representative
State Senate Rep
Maybe* Mayors, Governors, Public Service Commissioners, it just depends on your state.
Local
City Council, School Board, Sheriff, again, just depends on your state/county/city…look below for a better look at who these people are by visiting Ballotpedia and the AJC’s political section if in metro Atlanta.
Who are the candidates?
This information comes courtesy of the great political info website Ballotpedia and it has an easy listing of national and statewide candidates.
National
US Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections,_2020
US House: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2020
Statewide
State Houses: https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2020
State Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_State_Senate_elections,_2020
Georgia
Georgia House: https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2020
Georgia Senate: https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia_State_Senate_elections,_2020
Statewide:
Will there be wait times if I go in person?
Good question. Likely yes.
Especially if you’re Black or live in an area that has a lot of liberals. Get a book, fire up your best podcast, wear comfortable shoes, and use the bathroom before.
Voter suppression + arguably the most contentious US election ever will lead to long lines.
What if the Post Office is my only way to send and receive mail?
Tough, but you’d likely need to contact:
Your Secretary of State
State/County Board of elections
If you live in Georgia and HAVE NOT mailed back and/or dropped off your absentee ballot at a designated dropbox and/or county certified location a minimum THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE NOVEMBER 3RD, IT WILL LIKELY NOT BE COUNTED. ALL ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE COUNTED BY NOVEMBER 3RD!
This due to an 11 Circuit Court ruling allowing for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s plan to not count ballots received after November 3rd.
This was due to a recent ruling in the case The New Georgia Project vs Brad Raffensperger which was decided by Judge Britt Cagle Grant which overturned a previous ruling allowing for ballots postmarked before to be required to be counted.
Judge Grant for what it’s worth is a Republican-leaning, Federalist Society-groomed judge approved by a Republican governor to a judgeship, who was also a clerk for eventual Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, so we shouldn’t be surprised here.
How do I get confirmation that my vote is counted?
You will need to contact your county and/or city’s board of elections and sometimes this is also the registrar depending on what state you live in.
You can also visit the I Will Vote website and they have a section to take you towards the portal to see if your vote has been counted.
If you are voting in person in Georgia, you have the option to receive a paper receipt after you’ve completed voting.
Tweet of the Day
-KJW
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