We’ve been getting questions from readers about the absentee ballot process, and given the lines that continue during early voting in Cobb County, we’ve got some updated answers and information.
First of all, before you go to any early voting location in the county, you can check estimated wait times at this interactive map.
More than 168,000 absentee ballots have been sent to Cobb voters (the county has around 518,000 registered voters), and 61,670 absentee ballots have been returned.
The absolute deadline for requesting one is Oct. 30, but Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said ideally requests should be made no later than Oct. 27.
Absentee ballot applications can be requested from Cobb Elections by clicking here. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has created an absentee ballot tracker that lets you follow the status of that ballot after you return your application.
Some readers have been asking if they can still vote in-person if they’ve received an absentee ballot, and the answer to that is that they can.
Georgia is among the states that allows voters to do that, but the process of cancelling a ballot at the polls adds to the wait times. You’re asked to bring your absentee ballot with you; you won’t be able to vote in person until your absentee ballot is cancelled.
There are cancellation instructions that can be found here. If you don’t have your ballot with you when you arrive at the poll on the Nov. 3 election day, you’ll have to fill out an affidavit and poll workers will have to call the Cobb Elections office to have the ballot cancelled.
If you’re planning to vote via absentee ballot, the packet of materials you’ll get in the mail from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office (in the photo at top) includes four separate items: the ballot, a sheet with instructions, and two envelopes.
You must mark your ballot with blue or black ink only, and fill in the entire oval next to the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. The process is the same for voting for a write-in candidate and for ballot issues.
Don’t make an “X” or use check marks or vote for more than one candidate in a race.
If you make an error or spoil your ballot immediately contact Cobb Elections to get a replacement.
When you’re finished, fold the ballot and place it in the smaller envelope that says “OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOT” on the front and seal it. Then place that envelope in the larger envelope with a yellow stripe on the left and seal that.
Make sure you sign the back of the larger envelope where it says “Oath of Elector” and print out your name below that.
If you wish to mail your absentee ballot, include your return address and proper postage. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by no later than 7 p.m. on election day, Nov. 3.
You can also drop off that ballot at any of the 16 absentee ballot locations in the county (listings here) 24/7 up through 7 p.m. election day, Nov. 3, when the polls close.
In East Cobb those drop boxes are located at the following:
- East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road)
- Sewell Mill Library (2051 Lower Roswell Road)
- Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road)
- Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Drive)
In-person early voting lines that had been 8 hours or longer in some parts of the county (and 4-5 from what we heard from voters in East Cobb) on Monday have been shorter as the week went on.
As of noon Thursday, the estimates were three hours at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and an hour, 20 minutes at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road).
Those estimates fluctuate throughout the day, and there is no regular schedule for them to be updated.
Eveler said those numbers are revised by poll managers “as they see a change in conditions at that location.”
The estimates are provided to guide voters about when and where they may want to vote in advance.
A total of 22,717 people have voted early through the first three days, Monday-Wednesday. That includes 2,733 people at the East Cobb government center and 2,422 at The Art Place.
Eveler said all of the locations are fully staffed but “but it’s a three-week schedule so it is constantly evolving as people’s situations change,” such as illnesses and no-shows.
Early voting continues in Cobb Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 30 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next two Saturdays, Oct. 17 and 24.
Due to social-distancing guidelines each early voting location has between 6-9 voting machines. Here’s how that breaks down:
That’s another reason why Cobb Elections officials have been encouraging voters to vote via absentee ballot.
Cobb Elections has more on absentee voting, advance voting and election-day voting.
If you have any other questions e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll try to get answers.
Related Content
- Commissioner: Cobb ‘should do better’ with early voting lines
- Cobb early voting interactive map shows wait-time lines
- Candidate profile: Jerica Richardson, Cobb Commission District 2
- Early voting locations include East Cobb government center, The Art Place
- Atlanta Press Club debates include Cobb Commission Chair
- Candidate profile: David Banks, Cobb school board Post 5
- Candidate profile: Julia Hurtado, Cobb school board Post 5
- Candidate profile: Fitz Johnson, Cobb Commission District 2
- Candidate profile: Lisa Cupid, Cobb Commission Chair
- Candidate profile: Mike Boyce, Cobb Commission Chair
- Ga. Secretary of State’s office creates absentee ballot tracker
- Cobb absentee ballot dropbox locations include 4 in East Cobb
- Cobb elections 411: registration, absentee balloting and more
- East Cobb 2020 Elections Guide
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