VOTER REGISTRATION
The time is NOW to check your voter registration information. The registration deadline is October 5, and all registration information must be updated by this date. That means if you have moved or changed your name, you must update your registration by October 5.
Voter do not have to register every year. In general, once you have registered, you are good to go. The exception is if you have not voted in the last two presidential elections. This places your registration on the “Inactive” list. You can still vote if you are inactive, and once you do, you will automatically be switched to “Active,” but Inactive voters run the risk of being taken off of the voting rolls, so check your status and MAKE SURE YOU VOTE this fall.
And please ask your friends, family and neighbors to check their registration records, and if you know someone who has recently moved to Georgia, ask them to register!
Voters can register or update their records online or on paper forms. For online, the voter must have a current Georgia drivers license or state ID. Go to My Voter Page, https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ and click on the link on the landing page to register for the first time, or sign in with your information to update a current registration.
Paper registration forms can be used if the voter does not yet have a Georgia drivers license, they can use the last four digits of their social security number. Paper forms can be found at https://cherokeegavotes.com/register-to-vote-2/ Complete the form and hand deliver to the Cherokee County Elections Office to avoid significant mail delays.
The GA DDS will register people to vote when they apply for a driver’s license, but voters should assertively ask that they be registered. The rules have gone back and forth whether registration is automatic, and I have heard different counties process this differently.
It takes about 2 weeks or so to process the application to register. Voters will receive a precinct card from their local elections office and should call the elections office if they have not received the card in 2 weeks.
EARLY VOTING
Georgia election law makes voting convenient for eligible voters. Options include absentee ballots (a/k/a vote by mail), early voting periods, and voting on Election Day. Each option is simple, but it is important to follow a few simple directions to ensure that each vote counts.
For absentee ballots, a voter must send in an application for an absentee ballot during a specific time frame. For the 2026 November election, applications for an absentee ballot must be received by the election office no earlier than August 17, and not later than October 23. We will mail out absentee ballots to voters, and ballots must physically be returned, whether by mail, use of drop boxes or in person, by election day at 7:00 PM. Carefully follow the directions for completing and returning your ballot.
Early in person voting gives voters flexibility. Life can be unpredictable, and work schedules, school, family responsibilities, travel, appointments, or unexpected events may make Election Day challenging. Voting early can provide an additional opportunity to find a day and time that fits your schedule. It also allows voters to avoid lines at the polling place!
Early voting occurs during the work week, on Saturdays, and occasionally on Sundays; this voting period begins October 13, three weeks before election day. Specific early voting times and locations are scheduled, with some locations offering a drop box for absentee ballots. These locations are not the same as election day polling locations, and voters may vote at any location in the county during early voting.
Approximately half of voters in Cherokee vote on election day, so it is the busiest of all of the options. On this day, voters must cast their votes at their assigned precincts. Vote early to avoid possible wait times or interruptions in your day that could stand in the way of your ability to vote on election day.
Details can be found at https://www.cherokeedemocrats.com/voter-election-resources/
With the controversy surround the post office and mail in ballots, we STRONGLY urge everyone to vote early and in person, and if you must vote by mail, complete your ballot as soon as you receive it and hand deliver it to a dropbox or to the Cherokee County Elections Office. Drop boxes are located at The Buzz Auditorium at Veterans Park in Canton, or in Woodstock at the South Annex. If you cannot hand deliver yourself, a close family member can deliver it for you. Call the Cherokee Elections Office for details: 193 Lamar Haley Pkwy, Canton, GA 30114, Phone: 770-479-0407
