FAQ - Cobb County Board of Elections

What is the difference between Absentee Voting, Early Voting and Advance Voting?
These are all names for your various options to vote in person before Election Day. No "reason" is required for any of the options.

Early Voting is available at the Main Office, 736 Whitlock Ave., 30064. Starting September 19th, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Absentee Voting is another name for the Early Voting option. In the past you had to have a reason, and most people's reason was that they would be "absent" on Election Day. Starting in 2008, Georgia law now allows anyone to vote early, with no reason required, and the name Absentee Voting will probably gradually fade out of usage.
Advance Voting is a special name for the one week prior to Election Day when we have multiple locations available, and extended voting hours. Click here for complete information about Advance Voting. < < < < < <

What do I need to bring with me for Early Voting or Advance Voting?
Photo I.D. is required for Early or Advance Voting--the same as at the polls. Click here for a list of acceptale I.D.'s.

How do I get a Vote-by-Mail ballot?
Vote-by-Mail has 2 steps.
1. Apply for a Vote-by Mail ballot. Click here to download the form. Or call the following number to request one: 770/528-2581. You may use any form as long as it contains all of the necessary information. Please be sure to give us contact information--an email address or local phone number--so we can contact you if we have questions. Fill out the form completely, sign it and send it to us by mail or fax.
2. Once you receive your ballot, vote it and return it to us as soon as possible. Click here for more information.

Why do I sometimes get a ballot automatically and other times I have to apply?
Georgia law allows us to send some ballots automatically:

If you are 75 years old or older, or if you are disabled, when you apply for a ballot for a Primary, and you request "All ballots as allowed by law", we will also automatically mail you a ballot for the Primary Runoff, the General Election, and the General Runoff. (Note: You must select a party for a Primary, or we will have to call or mail you a letter before we can proceed.) You always have to apply separately for any Special Elections and for the Presidential Preference Primary.
If you are a Military or Overseas Citizen, and you apply for a Vote-by-Mail ballot and request "All ballots as allowed by law", we will send you ballots for Primaries, Runoffs, General Elections and the Presidential Preference Primary through 2 Federal Election cycles, or generally 4 years. You always have to apply separately for any Special Election. If you leave the military or are no longer living overseas, please notify our office.
All other voters have to apply each time they want to receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot.

Does my Early/Absentee/Advance vote or Vote-by-Mail ballot really count?
Absolutely! All Absentee and Vote-by-Mail ballots are counted on Election Night along with all of the votes cast in person during Early Voting, Advance Voting and at the polls. Unofficial Results are released before the staff can leave on Election Night. Military and Overseas Citizens' ballots that are received Wednesday through Friday, and were postmarked by Election Day, are added on Friday. The results become Official after they are certified by the Cobb County Board of Elections & Registration on Friday evening.

How can I or my spouse vote early if we are out of town on all the weekdays you are open?
You may take advantage of Vote-by-Mail. You may download the application and fax or mail it to us. Also a spouse may apply on behalf of the absent partner. We will mail a ballot either to your Cobb County address or to your out of town address. Click here for more information about Vote-by-Mail.

Why are all of the Military and Overseas Absentee ballots not counted on Election Night?
All of the ones we have received by Election Night are counted Election Night. In addition some will be added on Friday. Military and Overseas Citizens must postmark their ballots by Election Day, and then we have until 5:00pm Friday to receive them and count them.

How can I get an Absentee Ballot for my son or daughter who is away at college?
They may download the application themselves and fax or mail it to us. Or you may apply on their behalf, and sign your name and your relationship to them. In either case, the ballot will be mailed to their address at college. Of course if they will be in town during the Early or Advance Voting periods, they are welcome to come in and vote in person.

Can I return an Absentee or Vote-by-Mail ballot for someone else?
Unless a voter is disabled, each individual must mail or deliver his or her own ballot. A ballot may not be handled by anyone other than the individual to whom it was issued (not even spouses). If a voter is disabled, a family member may return the ballot to us by 7:00pm on Election Night.

Can I take ballot to a relative who is in the hospital?
No. Georgia law allows (but does not require) ballots to be taken to hospitals, but only by Elections staff members. We do not have enough personnel to accomodate those requests. Please take advantage of Vote-by-Mail for any ailing relatives or friends. Click here for Vote-by-Mail information.

I have a disability--how can I get help with voting?
For Federal elections, if you vote in person you may receive assistance from anyone except an agent of your employer or an agent of your union. Ususally whoever drives you to the poll or to the Early or Adavnce Voting site can assist you. If you arrive alone, you may request any other voter in the precinct to assist you. If you vote by mail, there are places on the forms for the signature of whoever assists you.

Early Voting is available at the Main Office, 736 Whitlock Ave., 30064. Starting September 19th, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Absentee Voting is another name for the Early Voting option. In the past you had to have a reason, and most people's reason was that they would be "absent" on Election Day. Starting in 2008, Georgia law now allows anyone to vote early, with no reason required, and the name Absentee Voting will probably gradually fade out of usage.
Advance Voting is a special name for the one week prior to Election Day when we have multiple locations available, and extended voting hours. Click here for complete information about Advance Voting. < < < < < <

What do I need to bring with me for Early Voting or Advance Voting?
Photo I.D. is required for Early or Advance Voting--the same as at the polls. Click here for a list of acceptale I.D.'s.

How do I change my address?
You can get the form online, then print it, fill it out completely and sign it. You must mail it in because the law requires that we have your original signature. Click here to print the form

Why do I need to notify the Elections Office of my new address if I still live in Cobb County?
The ballot you vote is determined by your residence address. The law requires that you give us your current address so that you will vote the correct ballot.

Once I register, how long does my registration remain in effect?
Your registration remains in effect as long as you live at the same address. If you move, you must notify us.

I moved within Cobb County and didn't notify the Elections Office by the deadline. Can I still vote?
Yes, you have two options.
1. You may vote in person during Early or Advance Voting.
2. You may vote on Election Day at your old polling place (the one assigned to your previous address)

Early Voting is available at the Main Office, 736 Whitlock Ave., 30064. Starting September 19th, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Absentee Voting is another name for the Early Voting option. In the past you had to have a reason, and most people's reason was that they would be "absent" on Election Day. Starting in 2008, Georgia law now allows anyone to vote early, with no reason required, and the name Absentee Voting will probably gradually fade out of usage.
Advance Voting is a special name for the one week prior to Election Day when we have multiple locations available, and extended voting hours. Click here for complete information about Advance Voting. < < < < < <

What do I need to bring with me for Early Voting or Advance Voting?
Photo I.D. is required for Early or Advance Voting--the same as at the polls. Click here for a list of acceptale I.D.'s.

Can I register and then do Early Voting in the same day?
No, we do not have same-day registration in Georgia. If you come to Early Voting and your registration is not already finalized in our computer, you will be allowed to vote a Provisional ballot.

What is the fastest way to see election results on Election Night?
Results are released on our Web site www.CobbElections.org and on www.CobbCounty.org as they are being tabulated. Also, in most elections, the same results will be displayed on T.V. 23.

What other ways can we get election results?
After we are finished on Election Night we can fax the Summary Report to news organizations that have requested it. That report is also posted to the Web site for any citizen to see.

Why are there 177 precincts?
There are 175 polling places, plus all of Absentee and Advance Voting is another precinct, and Provisional is still another precinct, for a total of 177.

What is counted on Election Night?
All the results from the 175 polling places plus the results from the Absentee and Advance Voting precinct. When the staff finally leaves on Election Night there will be 176 of 177 precincts counted.

What is not counted Election Night?
Provisional ballots are counted Friday after the election. Military or Overseas Citizens Absentee Ballots can be received until 5:00pm Friday if they are postmarked by Election Day.

Why are Election Night results Unofficial?
There are several reasons: 1. Results sent in from the polling places via telephone lines on Election Night cannot be Official by law. 2. We have to add the Provisional ballots and possibly some Military or Overseas Citizens’ ballots before we have the final results. 3. We conduct an extensive audit during the days following the Election. After all of the paperwork from the Election is verified, then the staff presents the results to the Board of Elections & Registration. 4. Results are not Official until they are certified by the Cobb County Board of Elections & Registration at their meeting on Friday evening after the Election.

Why are Provisional ballots not counted on Election Night?
The ballots arrive from the polling places on Election Night, and then by law, we have 2 business days to determine if the ballot should be counted based on whether the voter did register to vote before the deadline, did not previously cast a ballot, and showed proper I.D.

Are results available for each individual precinct?
Unofficial precinct by precinct results are available in our office the morning after the election. We can also email them by request. Official results by precinct will be posted to the Web site after the results are certified on Friday evening after the election.

Why do the results in Statewide races not match what I see on other Web sites?
On CobbElections.org you are seeing only the Cobb results. Other Web sites may combine results from all of the counties. For example, use the following link to the Secretary of State’s Web site: http://www.sos.ga.gov/Elections/

What do I need to bring with me for Early Voting or Advance Voting?
Photo I.D. is required for Early or Advance Voting--the same as at the polls. Click here for a list of acceptale I.D.'s.

Do I need my Voter Precinct Card to be able to vote?
No. Your Voter Precinct Card is for your information only. It tells you where to vote, and what districts you live in. To vote in person you must have one of the 6 allowable types of Photo I.D. Many people use their Georgia Driver's License. A free Voter I.D. is available at our office if you don't have any other allowable type. Click here to get the whole list.

What do I need to bring with me for Early Voting or Advance Voting?
Photo I.D. is required for Early or Advance Voting--the same as at the polls. Click here for a list of acceptale I.D.'s.

What is a Primary?
A primary is a process used by a political party to nominate only 1 candidate for each office. The candidate nominated for each office will then run against the candidates selected by other parties in the General Election.

Why do I have to choose Republican or Democratic?
The Republican and Democratic parties are the two parties in Georgia that conduct Primaries. Qualified candidates of other parties, as well as independant candidates, will appear on the November General Election ballot.

How do I change the party I am registered in?
We don't register in a party in Georgia. Each time there is a Primary, you select which party's Primary you want to vote in. The only restriction is that if there is a Runoff, you must vote in the same party's Runoff. In General Elections, all candidates are on the same ballot, and you may vote however you choose in each race.

Why can’t I vote for some candidates on the Republican ballot and some candidates on the Democratic ballot?
Georgia law requires that you vote in only one party’s Primary during each election cycle.

If I didn’t vote in the Primary, can I vote in the Runoff?
Yes. If you didn’t vote in the Primary, you can select either party to vote in the Runoff.

What if there is no Runoff in my party in my precinct?
Then you don’t need to go to vote in the Runoff.

If there is no Runoff in my precinct in the party I selected in July, can I vote in the other party’s Runoff in August?
No. Georgia law requires that you vote in only one party’s Primary during each election cycle.

If I don’t vote in the Primary or Runoff, can I still vote in the November General Election?
Yes. In November all the candidates appear on the same ballot and you can vote for whoever you choose.

How do I register to vote?
You can get the form online, then print it, fill it out completely and sign it. You must mail it in because the law requires that we have your original signature. Click here to print the form

Am I registered?
Follow this link to find out if you are already registered, and the latest address we have for you. If your address is current, this will also tell you where to vote: Poll Locator

How old do I need to be to register and vote?
You can register when you are 17½, but you cannot vote until you turn 18.

Can I register online?
No. The form is available online, but you must physically sign the form and mail it in.

Can I register on Election Day?
No. In Georgia you must register by 30 days before the election you want to vote in.

Once I register, how long does my registration remain in effect?
Your registration remains in effect as long as you live at the same address. If you move, you must notify us.

If I register to vote will I be called for jury duty?
Not necessarily. The jury system has many types of lists they can use to select jurors, including driver’s license information.

Could my name be deleted from the list of registered voters without my knowledge?
Not usually, but it is possible. Any action requires written notice, but if you have moved and not notified us, you may not have received the letter. If you have moved, please check to be sure you are still registered. Click here to check online.

Can I get my name removed from the voting list?
Yes. Send a request in writing and we will remove your name from the voting list.

When are Vote-by-Mail ballots counted?
Vote-by-Mail ballots are counted on Election Night along with all of the other votes. Vote-by-Mail ballots from Military and Overseas Citizens may also be counted on Friday after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Election Day. Ballots from all other voters must reach us by 7:00pm on Election Night in order to be counted.

Why do I sometimes get a ballot automatically and other times I have to apply?
Georgia law allows us to send some ballots automatically:

If you are 75 years old or older, or if you are disabled, when you apply for a ballot for a Primary, and you request "All ballots as allowed by law", we will also automatically mail you a ballot for the Primary Runoff, the General Election, and the General Runoff. (Note: You must select a party for a Primary, or we will have to call or mail you a letter before we can proceed.) You always have to apply separately for any Special Elections and for the Presidential Preference Primary.
If you are a Military or Overseas Citizen, and you apply for a Vote-by-Mail ballot and request "All ballots as allowed by law", we will send you ballots for Primaries, Runoffs, General Elections and the Presidential Preference Primary through 2 Federal Election cycles, or generally 4 years. You always have to apply separately for any Special Election. If you leave the military or are no longer living overseas, please notify our office.
All other voters have to apply each time they want to receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot.