Election deadlines approach for Nov. 3 presidential, state contests

ALBANY — The big day for the 2020 election is, of course, Nov. 3, when millions of Americans cast their ballots for president. But there are other important dates that fall before that time for those who wish to participate.

For individuals who have not registered, the deadline to do so and vote in the Nov. 3 election is less than two weeks away. That date, Oct. 5, is also the last day to make sure voter registration information on file is accurate.

“That will be the last day of registration and to make sure your address is correct, that you’re registered in the (correct) county, and to make any name updates” in the case of a wedding or other life event, Dougherty County Elections Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said.

With absentee ballots just starting to trickle in, Nickerson said she is not sure what kind of interest there is this year. The number of calls from voters has not been heavy so far.

The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is the Friday prior to the election, but that is pushing it, as ballots must be received by the following Nov. 6 in order to be counted.

Georgians can check registration status, request a mail-in absentee ballot, check out sample ballots and find their polling locations and other information at sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections. That information can be found by selecting “My voter page,” located on the left under the voter info category.

“The applications for absentee voting have been coming in,” Nickerson said. “A lot of third-party organizations have sent out applications, so we’re still waiting.”

Local elections offices also mail out absentee ballots by request.

“We encourage people to request ballots,” Nickerson said. “We strongly encourage people to contact us if they have any questions about their status, whether they’re set to receive an absentee ballot.”

In-person absentee voting, commonly referred to as early voting, begins on Oct. 12 and extends through Oct. 30. For 2020, all early voting in Dougherty County will be conducted at the Riverfront Resource Center at 125 Pine Ave.

In addition, voters can drop off absentee ballots at a drop box located on the south side of the Government Center in downtown Albany. In addition to weekday voting, voters also can cast ballots from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and from noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.

The Dougherty County Commission approved three new ballot drop box locations on Monday, but the earliest they could be in place is mid-October. Commissioners also approved additional funding to hire temporary workers and two new full-time positions for what should be a busy presidential contest.

Nickerson said she is looking to fill the temporary and full-time slots as quickly as possible.

For the June primary, six of the county’s precincts were closed due to a shortage of workers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, Nickerson asked voters to check with official sources of information, as she said there are a lot of inaccurate messages making the rounds online, especially on social media.

“The main thing we request voters do is follow links to Dougherty County or the Georgia Secretary of State,” she said. “We want to ensure voters are receiving the correct information.”

Voters also can call Nickerson’s office at (229) 431-3247.