Absentee Ballot Changes In Decatur, Avondale: Fall Elections 2021

DECATUR-AVONDALE ESTATES, GA — As fall elections are approaching, many Georgians are opting to vote by mail again after it became a popular option in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But with Georgia's new voting laws, dozens of absentee ballot applications in Decatur and Avondale Estates may have been rejected because voters are requesting them too early. Senate Bill 202, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law in late March, shortened the length of time to both request and complete an absentee ballot application.

Georgians used to be able to apply for an absentee ballot up to 180 days before an election, but now voters can only request an application up to 78 days before Election Day. Additionally, applications submitted less than 10 days before Election Day will no longer be accepted.

"People are used to the old way where you had 180 days before an election you could submit for an application, but today we are starting to get those applications from people, and we can't accept anything until the 78th day before an election, so we are rejecting those applications," said Janine Eveler, director of the Cobb County Board of Registration and Elections, in a video. "If you send it in too early or too late, we have to reject it."

Elections departments will notify voters of a rejected application in the same manner in which the voter applied (i.e. if they applied by email, they would receive a notification of rejected application via email, too).

When can I apply for an absentee ballot application?

For the upcoming November 2021 general and special elections among municipalities and the education sales tax referendum, voters have between Aug. 16 and Oct. 22 to request an absentee ballot application.

In Decatur, Avondale Estates and DeKalb County, absentee ballots can be filled out here, but must be printed, signed and sent back to the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections via email, fax, mail or in-person drop-off. For information on where to send your application, visit the DeKalb County absentee voting info page here.

A driver's license, state identification or another accepted form of identification is required for absentee voting. Accepted forms of ID for those without a driver's license or state ID are:

Identification with photograph:

• United States military identification card
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, Georgia state government, or Georgia county, municipality, board, authority, or any other entity of the state of Georgia
• Georgia voter identification card
• U.S. passport
• Tribal identification card

Documents showing name and address:

• Current utility bill
• Paycheck
• Bank statement
• Other government document
• Government check

New oath envelope requirements

Before mailing or dropping off an absentee ballot, voters must sign the oath envelope with their name, birth date and Georgia driver's license number or state ID number. Those without a driver's license or state ID can put the last four digits of their Social Security number.

All of this information will be written on the inside of the envelope flap to protect voters' private information.

What happens after submitting my application?

If accepted, Decatur and Avondale Estates voters will receive their absentee ballot no earlier than 22 days before Election Day, which works out to Oct. 11 for November elections. Elections departments must have all ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Absentee ballots can be submitted by:

• mailing to DeKalb County Board of Elections and Registration, 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032; OR
• hand-delivering to the main elections office, or at one of the DeKalb County early voting locations, which can be viewed here whenever they become available.

Related:

• Qualifying Closes For Decatur Elections: See Who's On The Ballot
• Qualifying Closes For Avondale Elections: See Who's On The Ballot
• Election Law Restricts Absentee Voting, Weakens Sec. of State
• GA Voting Law Subject Of U.S. Justice Department Lawsuit