City Clerk - Voting Procedures
Where do I vote?
Each voter must vote at the polling place designated for the precinct in
which the voter lives. The location of your polling place is located on
your precinct card. If you have misplaced your card or do not know where
your precinct is located, please call (770) 822-8787. FOR persons living
inside the City limits of Duluth YOUR Municipal polling place is located
at Duluth City Hall, 3167 Main Street, Duluth, Ga. For
all other elections (State, County or National) you can find your
polling located on your precinct card. In the case where an municipal
election falls in conjunction with a State, County or National election
the voter may have to vote at two different polling locations.
How do I vote?
Go to your polling place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day. When
you arrive at your polling place, you will complete a voter’s
certificate which asks for your name and residence address. You will
then present this to the poll officers who will verify that you are a
registered voter in that precinct by checking the voters list for that
precinct. If your name is found on the list, you will be admitted into a
voting booth to cast your vote.
Are sample ballots available prior to the election?
Yes. Sample ballots are available through your county or
municipal registrar’s office. Voters are authorized to carry a sample
ballot or list of selected candidates with them to the polls to aid them
in voting their ballot. You may not share the sample ballot or candidate
list with other voters at the polls, but you may use it for your
benefit.
When is the best time to go to the polls to avoid having to wait in long
lines?
Peak voting hours appear to be from 7 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. , 4:30 p.m.
until 7:00 p.m. , and during the mid-day lunch hour.
Is my employer required to grant me time off to vote?
Yes. Georgia law requires employers to grant their workers up
to two hours to vote on the day of an election. However, the employer is
authorized to specify the hours which an employee may use. This
provision does not apply to employees whose hours of work begin at least
two hours after the polls open or end at least two hours before the
polls close. There is no obligation for an employer to pay the employee
for the time taken to vote.
Am I required to show identification when I vote?
Voters are required to present identification at their polling
place prior to casting their ballot.
Proper identification shall consist of any of the following:
- a valid Georgia driver’s license;
- a valid identification card issued by a branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the United States authorized by law to issue personal identification;
- a valid United States passport;
- a valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the elector and issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, this state, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state;
- a valid United States military identification card;
- a valid tribal photo ID
NOTE: The “precinct card” you receive to confirm your voter registration and voting location is NOT a form of identification and it will not be sufficient identification to vote.
Need a Voter ID Card?
If you do not have one of these forms of photo identification,
a Georgia Voter Identification Card is available FREE of charge at your
county registrar's office or any
Department of Driver Services Office.
For further details about obtaining a Voter Identification Card, please
contact your county registrar's office.
Georgia's Voter Identification Card
If you do not have one of the six acceptable forms of photo ID,
the State of Georgia offers a FREE Voter Identification Card. An identification
card can be issued at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver
Services Office free of charge.
Before being issued a voter identification card, the voter must provide:
- A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes full legal name and date of birth
- Documentation showing the voter's date of birth
- Evidence that the applicant is a registered voter
- Documentation showing the applicant's name and residential address.
How do I cast my vote?
Instructions on how to vote a ballot or operate a voting
machine are posted at each polling place. In addition, you may ask a
poll officer for assistance at any time.
How can I receive assistance voting?
In the case of an election with federal candidates on the
ballot, illiterate or disabled persons may receive assistance from
anyone of the voter’s choosing with the exception of the voter’s
employer, agent of the voter’s employer; officer of the voter’s union,
or a representative of the voter’s union. There is no limit as to the
number of voters an individual may assist.
In the case of an election where federal candidates are not on the ballot, illiterate or disabled persons may receive assistance in voting. Anyone who is entitled to receive assistance in voting shall be permitted to select any voter, except a poll officer or poll watcher, who is a resident of the precinct in which the voter requiring assistance is attempting to vote or the mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, or child of the voter entitled to receive assistance. No person shall assist more than ten voters in any election.
NOTE: Between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the day of an election, voters who are 75 years of age or older or who are physically disabled may, upon request to a poll officer, vote immediately without waiting in line.
What do I do if I make a mistake, spoil my ballot or am unsure
of how to operate a voting machine?
Poll officers of the precinct will be available to answer any questions
voters may have concerning voting their ballot or operating a vote
recorder or voting machine.
Can I take my child to the polls with me?
Children under the age of 18 may accompany a parent into the
voting booth. However, they may not be disruptive or interfere with the
voting process, vote the ballot or operate any function of a vote
recorder or voting machine.
Can I wear a campaign button into the polling place?
No person may campaign; distribute literature of written or
printed matter of any kind; wear campaign buttons, signs, pins,
stickers, T-shirts, etc.; circulate petitions; or perform similar
activities within 150 feet of the building in which a polling place is
located.
Can I bring into the polling area my cell phone?
New Georgia Law requires that all cell phones be turned off
while in the polling area.
ABSENTEE VOTING
You may vote by absentee ballot if:
- You will be absent from your precinct from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
- You are 75 years of age or older.
- You have a physical disability which prevents you from voting in person or you are a constant caregiver of a person with a disability.
- You are an election official.
- You are observing a religious holiday which prevents you from voting in person.
You are required to remain on duty in your precinct for the protection of life, health, or safety of the public.
How do I apply for an absentee ballot?
You may request an absentee ballot as early as 180 days before
an election. Applications for absentee ballots may be made in person at Duluth City
Hall, by mail, or by facsimile transmission
to 678-957-7280. The application must be in writing and must
contain the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, the reason for
voting by absentee ballot, sufficient information to identify you as a
voter and the election in which you wish to vote. If you are physically
disabled or living temporarily outside your county of residence, a close
relative may apply for an absentee ballot for you. NOTE: Absentee
ballots must be signed and received by the City’s Clerks office on or
before Election Day!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Handel
Secretary of State
Elections Division
1104 West Tower
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., SE
Atlanta, Ga. 30334
(404) 656-2871
1-800-551-8029 (TDD for the hearing or speech impaired)