Common Cause Georgia Urges Voters to Consider Absentee Voting in June Elections

In the wake of Secretary of State Brad Reffensperger’s decision to postpone Georgia’s primary elections until June 9th, Common Cause Georgia issued the following statement:

Statement of Cindy Battles, on behalf of Common Cause Georgia

Given the uncertainties surrounding the public health situation, we urge all Georgians to consider using absentee ballots to vote in the upcoming primary elections.

Absentee voting is a safe and secure way to participate in that most essential of American activities: helping to choose our government officials.

Although absentee voting may not be appropriate for all voters, we ask Georgians to consider it. Active voters should have already received an absentee ballot application. We urge voters to carefully complete their applications and return them, now, so that County elections officials have as much time as possible to process all applications before election day. Voters can still use absentee ballot applications that have the May 19 date to apply for a ballot for the June 9th election; voters who have already requested absentee ballots will receive a ballot for the new election.

Voters who have received an absentee ballot but later decide to vote in-person can simply take their absentee ballot with them to the polls, and exchange it for a regular ballot. Voters who apply for absentee ballots, but don’t receive their ballot before the election, can still vote in-person after making a written request to have the absentee ballot cancelled. Voters who lose or spoil their absentee ballot can also request to have their ballot cancelled and then vote in-person.

Voters who have not yet received an absentee ballot application can download one from the Secretary of State’s website.

Voters should choose whatever method of voting is best for them, given their individual circumstances. Georgia has had no-excuse absentee voting since 2005. It is a tried and true, safe and secure system for voting. We ask all Georgians to consider using it. 

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Earlier today, Common Cause Georgia issued a statement urging Secretary Raffensperger to disband the “Absentee Ballot Task Force.” Read the full statement here.  

The Secretary of State’s Absentee Voting guide is available here.

Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website here.