Did you request an absentee ballot but not receive it? Here’s what to do:

Millions of Americans have requested absentee ballots in order to vote in the Nov. 3 election, but with the election next week, some Georgia voters have said they haven’t received their ballot yet.

That’s an issue, because even if an absentee ballot were to arrive early this week, the U.S. Postal Service advised voters to mail their ballots, at a minimum, 14 days before the election. Also, if a voter requested an absentee ballot and has not received it, they cannot simply go vote at a polling place, early or on Election Day.

If you requested an absentee ballot and you haven’t received it

To vote in person if you’ve requested an absentee ballot and it hasn’t arrived, you will need to contact their county registrar and sign an affidavit in front of an election staff member affirming that you are only voting once. Your name will be removed from the absentee ballot request roll, and you can vote in person.

Bibb County Registrar Veronica Seals can be contacted at vseals@maconbibb.us.

If you received an absentee ballot, but want to vote in person

It’s illegal to vote more than once in an election. If you received an absentee ballot but want to vote in person, you can bring your unmarked ballot to a polling place or visit a polling place without the ballot and sign an affidavit requesting that the ballot be canceled. A poll worker will then have to call the election board to confirm that you haven’t returned your ballot. If the poll worker can’t contact the office, you can request a provisional ballot and the first ballot to be received will be counted.

However, since both options require additional efforts by election staff to remove you from the absentee ballot request rolls, the Bibb County election board encourages voters to, if they’ve requested and received an absentee ballot, vote using that ballot.

Dropping off an absentee ballot

Voters who recently received an absentee ballot can also drop their completed ballot off at early voting locations, including the Board of Elections office, rather than chance mailing it in so close to the election. If you have an unmarked absentee ballot and now want to vote in-person, you must contact your county election supervisor.

Absentee ballots can also be returned by family members, housemates or by a voter’s caregiver, if the individual is “physically disabled,” according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Visit the Secretary of State My Voter Page for more information about absentee ballots and voting.

This story includes reporting from Nicole Bailey-Covin of the Center for Collaborative Journalism.

This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 11:43 AM.