What Muscogee County residents should know before early voting starts in Columbus
Nancy Boren, Muscogee County’s director of elections and registration, shared information about what Columbus residents need to know ahead of early voting for the May 19 election.
The early voting period runs from April 27 through May 15, Boren said in an emai to the Ledger-Enquuirer, and early voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. This includes Saturdays and Sundays, she said.
There are three locations for Muscogee County residents to vote early in Columbus:
- North Columbus Recreation Center, 2010 American Way
- City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way
- Shirley Winston Recreation Center, 5025 Steam Mill Road.
Voters need to remember the City Services Center is not a voting precinct on election day, Boren said.
“Voters have to go to their assigned precinct on election day,” she said.
There have been a few precinct changes in Columbus since the last election, Boren said, so Muscogee County voters should check to ensure they are going to the right location if they are voting May 19.
“My Voter Page is a great resource,” she said. “Voters can check registration, see sample ballots, look at representation and apply for an absentee by mail ballot.”
Acceptable forms of photo ID to vote
Identification requirements have not changed, Boren said. Acceptable forms of photo ID include:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- Expired Driver’s license
- Georgia college or university ID
- Military ID
- Tribal photo ID.
The process for voting in the primary election is also the same, Boren said. Voters select one of three ballots: Democratic, Republican or nonpartisan.
Nonpartisan ballots will not have the primary for governor, secretary of state or other state offices, she said. Nonpartisan races for mayor, city counil and school board are at the bottom of the party ballots, Boren said.
“Questions that appear on the party ballots are different and are only opinion polls — nonbinding questions to gauge opinions of voters selecting that party’s ballot,” Boren said.
Mail-in absentee ballot voting
Mail-in absentee ballots must be requested by the voter, she said. The deadline for this is May 8.
Voters who are over 65 or disabled can request a ballot for the first elections of the year and, if selected on the application, can opt in to receive ballots for the remainder of the election cycle.
Ballots started being mailed April 20 for approved applications on hand, Boren said. People who are returning the ballots through the U.S. Postal Service are asked to do so as soon as possible, she said.
“All absentee ballots must be received in the elections office by 7 p.m. on election day, May 19,” Boren said. “The ballot collection box is only open during the hours of early voting.”
If voters return ballots after May 15, they should be delivered to the elections office on the second floor of the City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way.
The voter registration deadline for this election was April 20. Georgia residents can check their registration at Georgia’s My Voter Page.
