What to know as time runs out to vote in Georgia’s U.S. Senate and state PSC runoffs
Thursday will be the last day to vote early in-person in Georgia’s Jan. 5 U.S. Senate and Public Service Commission runoffs, and the Columbus polls’ schedule will be cut short as the New Year’s Day holiday approaches.
The early voting polls have been open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but they’ll close two hours early, at 5 p.m., on the final day.
After that, Muscogee County residents who want to cast ballots in person will have to wait until next week, when neighborhood voting precincts will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Election Day.
As of Tuesday, 30,026 Columbus residents had voted early in person, said Nancy Boren, executive director of the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration. In the Nov. 3 presidential race, 42,740 voters here cast ballots at early voting polls, according to results the elections board certified Nov. 7.
Voters can check their voter registration status, find their neighborhood precincts and see sample ballots online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page,” www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP. A list of Columbus precincts also is available at the local elections office website, www.columbusga.gov/elections.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, voters at the polls are urged to wear face masks and to social distance, but no one is turned away for not wearing a mask.
Here are the early voting sites:
- The Columbus Tech Student Center, 928 Manchester Expressway.
- The City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way.
- The Columbus Trade Center, 801 Front Ave.
- The Psalmond Road Recreation Center, 6500 Psalmond Road.
- The Shirley B Winston Recreation Center, 5025 Steam Mill Road.
The time to return a mail-in absentee ballot also is running out, with Friday a federal holiday, so voters should remember that if they don’t want to rely on the postal service to deliver their ballots, they can drop those off at one of the city’s five ballot drop boxes, two of which they can drive up to, without having to leave their cars.
The county Wednesday had issued 24,355 mail-in absentee ballots, Boren said. In the Nov. 3 presidential race, 24,213 Columbus residents voted absentee by mail, according the initial tally certified by the county elections board.
The drop box sites are:
- The rear entrance to the Citizens Service Center, off Macon Road at 3111 Citizens Way (walk up).
- The exit to the Citizens Service Center parking garage (drive up).
- The Frank Chester Recreation Center, 1441 Benning Drive (drive up).
- The Columbus Health Department, 5601 Veterans Parkway (walk up).
- The Columbus Convention and Trade Center, 801 Front Ave. (walk up).
Election officials urge residents voting absentee by mail to be sure they sign the yellow oath envelope that comes with the ballot. They may be notified to correct the oversight if they fail to do that, but if they don’t correct it, their ballot will be voided.
Those voting in person, either at an early voting poll or Election Day voting precinct, should remember to bring a government-issued photo ID.