In Your Community: Are You Ready to Vote?
Written by Maria Pinkelton on . In Your Community.
The state of Georgia's 2023 November elections has significant importance as they will determine the direction and leadership of communities across the state. While they are not as high-profile as statewide or national elections, these municipal races have a profound impact on the lives of Georgians with disabilities and their families. There are roughly 650,000 people with disabilities of voting age in Georgia and it is critical that their voices are heard at the voting polls.
This year’s elections will decide a wide range of positions including mayors, city council members, school board officials, county commissioners and other key leadership roles. These offices are integral in shaping local policies, managing budgets and addressing the unique needs of individual communities and how they support accessibility, inclusion and opportunity for residents with disabilities. Voters' choices in these races directly influence the quality of life in their communities.
The deadline to register in this year’s election was October 10, 2023, and we hope you took that time to register if you recently moved to Georgia, recently turned 18 years old, or otherwise needed to make changes to your voter profile.
The next election in Georgia is November 7, 2023. The following dates detail important information and deadlines to ensure that you are best prepared to go to the polls and vote.
- October 16 – The earliest day for a registrar to mail an absentee ballot for the November Municipal General Election.
- October 16 – Advanced (Absentee In-Person) Voting begins for the November General Election.
- October 21 and October 28 - Mandatory Saturday Voting for the November General Election.
- October 27 – The last day to request an absentee ballot for the November Municipal General Election.
- November 7 – ELECTION DAY (Municipal General/Special Election).
- November 13 – The last day for a voter to submit an absentee ballot cure affidavit.
- December 5 – ELECTION DAY (Special Election Runoff).
To view a sample ballot, find your polling place or to verify that you are properly registered to vote, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.
Contact the Georgia Advocacy Office Voter Protection Hotline at 404-885-1234 or 1-800-537-2329 for any challenges you may have when casting your vote.
REV UP (Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power) is a national nonpartisan voting initiative focused on advancing the power of the disability vote. Learn more about their work in Georgia by visiting the REV UP website at https://www.aapd.com/about-rev-up/.
See you at the polls!