National Voter Registration Day: How To Be Vote-Ready In Georgia

GEORGIA — While the 2020 presidential election saw record voter turnout in the United States, nearly 1 in 4 eligible Americans still aren’t registered to vote. A single day in September hopes to change that in Georgia.

National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 28 this year. Observed since 2012, this nonpartisan civic holiday helps reach tens of thousands of voters who may not otherwise register.

In 2020 and with the help of more than 5,000 community partners, more than 1.5 million eligible voters registered on National Voter Registration Day.

This year’s voter registration drive comes during a crucial period in American democracy.

Nearly 1 in 5 states, including Georgia, passed restrictive election laws following the 2020 presidential election that tighten absentee voting windows and impose new rules around casting ballots and running elections.

Still, with the right knowledge and a bit of preparation and planning, registering to vote can still be an easy, seamless process.

Here’s what you need to know about National Voter Registration Day and how to register in Georgia:

What Is National Voter Registration Day?

National Voter Registration Day is a coordinated effort by communities, workplaces, libraries, college campuses and other entities across the country, all of which share a common goal — to raise awareness of voter registration opportunities in their communities.

Events are planned across the country to mark the day, including two in Georgia:

• The League of Women Voters-Marietta Cobb & Community Partners is hosting an event at libraries throughout Cobb County on Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. in person.
• Clayton State Library is partnering with the Political Science program to host a voter registration drive Tuesday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the library, room L-200 (upper level near the courtyard entrance) and online at clayton.libguides.com/NVRD.

Does National Voter Registration Day actually work?

Nearly 4.5 million voters have registered since the event’s inception, according to the campaign’s website. More than 300,000 Americans registered to vote on the inaugural National Voter Registration Day in 2012. In 2019, 473,725 people registered to vote before that number skyrocketed to 1.5 million in 2020.

How have election laws changed in Georgia?

Following the 2020 election, nine states passed legislation that sponsors say improves election security. Critics, however, say the legislation makes it harder for people to vote.

In Kansas, one law effectively shuts down voter registration drives by making it a felony to impersonate an election official, according to a National Public Radio report, a standard that could depend entirely on impressions. In Montana, state lawmakers eliminated Election Day voter registration.

In Georgia, Senate Bill 202 is the legislation passed in March 2021 that shortens the window for mail voting, eliminates signature matching from mail voting and adds new ID requirements, and restricts ballot drop boxes, among many other changes. It also grants new powers to state legislators — which is GOP-controlled in Georgia — in local elections.

How do I register to vote in Georgia?

Registering to vote in Georgia is simple. You can register online, check to see if you're already registered and make changes to your registration record at the My Voter Page website; register in-person at your county elections office; or register by mail by downloading and completing the postage-paid voter registration application and mail it to the Secretary of State's office.

You can also register to vote directly on National Voter Registration Day’s website.

Know election deadlines in Georgia.

Less than one-third of people who voted in the 2020 presidential election did so in person after states expanded mail-in balloting and early voting due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

In fact, 2020 was the first time in the history of the survey that a majority of voters did not cast their ballots in person on Election Day.

While new laws may have changed the landscape of mail-in voting, it’s important to know when you need to register by, as well as other key election deadlines in Georgia.

With the passage of SB 202, important election dates have changed from previous years:

• Oct. 4: Voter registration deadline
• Oct. 12: Earliest day for a registrar to mail an absentee ballot for the November election
• Oct. 12: Early in-person voting begins
• Oct. 29: Last day for a registrar to issue absentee ballots for the November election
• Nov. 2: Election Day