A voter who requests an absentee ballot by mail is not required to provide a reason why he or she is voting absentee.

You may vote by absentee ballot in person if:

• You will be absent from your precinct from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 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.

An elector may cast an absentee ballot in person at the registrar's office during the period of Monday through Friday of the week immediately preceding the date of the election without having to provide a reason. Electors may no longer cast an absentee ballot in person at the registrar's office on the Monday preceeding an election.

How do I apply for an absentee ballot?

You may request an absentee ballot as early as 180 days before an election. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of registrars' office by 7:00 p.m. on election day. No absentee ballots are issued on the day before or the day of an election. You may download an application (see below) for an official absentee/advance ballot and mail it (P.O. Box 1828, Athens, GA 30603) or fax it (706- 613-3840) to the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections Office.

The application must be in writing and contain the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, sufficient information to identify you as a voter, and the election in which you wish to vote - no reason is required when requesting an absentee ballot by mail. If you are physically disabled or living temporarily outside your county of residence, a close relative may apply for an absentee ballot for you.

Applications for absentee ballots by uniformed or overseas voters (pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) can be accepted more than 180 days prior to a primary or election in which a federal candidate appears on the ballot as well as for any runoffs resulting therefrom including presidential preference primaries for two general elections.

The Application for Official Absentee/Advance Ballot is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You must have the Adobe Acrobat reader (available free of charge from Adobe) installed on your computer in order to view or print this form.

May I receive assistance with my absentee ballot?

A physically disabled or illiterate voter may receive assistance from another voter in the same county or municipality or from the same category of relatives who can make an application for or deliver an absentee ballot. If the voter is outside of the county or municipality, then a notary public can provide such assistance.

Any person who assists another person to vote absentee must complete an oath prescribed by law demonstrating the statutory disability and that the ballot was completed as the voter desired. Other than federal elections, no person may assist more than ten voters in a primary, election, or runoff. A candidate on the ballot, or a relative of a candidate on the ballot, may not offer assistance during the election to any voter who is not related to the candidate.