Fewer Georgians are planning to vote by mail, with one day left to request an absentee ballot

Peach State residents who want to vote by mail in the midterm elections have one last day to file their absentee ballot request, and so far, Georgia is seeing less demand for that form of voting.

Mail-in voting is still an option for this year’s midterms. Here’s what voters should know.

About 154,000 absentee ballots have been requested as of Wednesday evening, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. Of the roughly 153,000 ballots that have already been sent out to voters, more than 62,000 have been returned and accepted. Georgia voters have until Friday to submit their absentee ballot requests to their county election office.

During the last midterm elections in 2022, nearly 286,000 voters requested an absentee ballot. This year that number is noticeably lower, despite the fact that overall voter turnout has hit record levels, exceeding 2022 numbers by over 12% as of Tuesday.

Bartow County election director Joseph Kirk, who is also the past president of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, urged voters who might need to vote absentee to be proactive about filing their requests.

“If anybody might need one, go ahead and request it,” Kirk said. “After that Friday, I can’t accept any other applications for any reason.”

But voters who mark the wrong candidate, change their mind about voting absentee or are worried that their ballot might not arrive in time to be counted still have the opportunity to vote in person, according to Georgia Elections Director Blake Evans. Election workers at the polls can cancel an absentee ballot at a voter’s request and issue them an in-person one.

Early voting is underway in Georgia. Here’s where you can cast a ballot in your county.

So far, about 94% of Georgia voters have chosen to cast a ballot in person at one of their county’s early voting sites. Voters can also cast their ballot on Election Day at their assigned polling place. But for many residents — including older voters, voters with disabilities, military and overseas voters and college students — absentee voting may be the most convenient choice, or the only one available.

Georgia is a no-excuse absentee voting state, meaning anyone can vote by mail without needing to provide a reason. However, they must fill out an application from the secretary of state’s office in order to receive their absentee ballot. Ballots must be delivered by 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

To request an absentee ballot, voters can complete a paper form or an electronic application found on the secretary of state’s website. The application must be printed out and signed, then voters can mail, fax, email or drop it off in person at their county registrar’s office. A full list of county election offices can also be found at the secretary of state’s website.