Georgia (REVIEW)

You need to show a photo ID to vote in person.

You also must provide ID information or a copy of photo ID to vote by absentee ballot.

Is out-of-state ID accepted?

Yes!

Is student ID accepted?

Yes!

Is an expired ID accepted?

Yes!

Learn About Voting In Person
Learn About Voting By Mail

Georgia ID Requirements for Voting in Person

Georgia has a strict voter ID law. You must show an accepted form of photo ID to vote in person.

Accepted Forms of Photo

You can use a Georgia driver’s license even if it is expired.

You may also use one of the following photo IDs. These IDs must be unexpired:

  • Georgia state ID card
  • Identification issued by US Government or any other state
  • Georgia Voter ID card
  • US passport or passport card
  • Military identification issued by US or any state
  • Employee identification issued by US, Georgia, or local government
  • Tribal ID
  • Student ID if your school is on this list from Georgia’s Secretary of State

If you do not have a Georgia driver’s license or state ID, you are eligible to receive a free Georgia Voter ID card from the state. Check the FAQ below to learn more.

Download info card

Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia issues a free Voter ID card that is only intended to be used to vote. You can’t use this ID to prove your identity for other purposes.

You can get a Georgia voter ID card from any county registrar’s office or at a Department of Driver Services (DDS) customer service center. 

Here’s how to get your Georgia Voter ID card: 

📍County Registrar 

To get a free Voter Identification Card at a county registrar’s office you must provide all of the following:

  • A photo identity document or approved non-photo identity document that includes your full legal name and date of birth
  • Documentation showing your date of birth
  • Evidence that you are registered to vote in Georgia
  • Documentation showing your full legal name and residential address

🔗 Contact information for County Registrars

📍DDS Customer Service Center 

A Georgia Voter ID card can be issued at any Georgia Department of Driver Services location free of charge.

You need to provide all of the following:

  • An original or certified document to prove who you are such as a birth certificate or US Passport
  • Your Social Security Card
  • Two documents showing your residential address such as a bank statement or utility bill
  • Signed affidavit
  • Evidence that you are a registered voter
  • If you’ve had a name change,  you’ll also need to bring proof in the form of an original or certified document, such as a marriage license

🔗 List of DDS customer service centers

➜ Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help securing ID!

If you are a registered Georgia voter but don’t present an accepted photo ID at the polls, you can cast a provisional ballot. 

Provisional ballots are a way to ensure that eligible voters are not turned away.

For your provisional ballot to count, you will need to present an accepted photo ID at your county registrar’s office within three days after the election. 

🔗 Find your local county registrar’s office

If you do not have an accepted photo ID, you are eligible to receive a free Georgia Voter ID card. Review the FAQ above “How can I get a free ID to vote in Georgia?”

➜ Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help securing ID!

In Georgia, the name on your ID must match the name on your voter registration. If you’re already registered to vote and change your name, you must update your voter registration (see instructions below).

You must update your registration at least 30 days before an election. Mail-in forms must be postmarked 30 days before the election.

If you are already registered to vote but have changed your name within 30 days of the voter registration deadline, you may cast a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will count if you’re able to provide a matching photo ID at your county registrar’s office within three days after the election.

🔗 Find your local county registrar’s office. 

You can update your voter registration record:

You must present a physical ID to vote in Georgia. You cannot use a copy or digital ID.

You do not need a “REAL ID” to vote in Georgia.

REAL ID is a set of national security standards for states to follow in issuing identity documents like driver’s licenses and state photo IDs. 

Georgia now issues only REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and state IDs. If you need to renew your state photo ID or driver’s license (or apply for a new one) you must go through the REAL ID process.

No, Precinct Cards are not accepted forms of identification in Georgia.

Precinct Cards are sent to you by mail once your voter registration application is approved and will include voter registration information and the location of your polling place, however they do not serve as an accepted form of ID.

Georgia ID Requirements for Voting by Mail

Any registered Georgian can choose to vote using an absentee ballot. You don’t have to give a reason for not voting in person.

Requesting Your Ballot

You have to apply to receive an absentee ballot. If you need assistance, another person can help fill out the application.

You can request your ballot online, deliver your completed application form in person, or send it by email, mail, or fax.

Application Info

If you have a Georgia driver’s license or state ID card, you must put its number on your application.

If you do not have one:

1️⃣ You should mark on the application that you don’t have either number.

2️⃣ You need to include an acceptable ID when you apply.

The application has a place to attach a copy or upload a photo of your ID.

You can use one of these photo IDs if it is unexpired:

    • US passport or passport card
    • Georgia voter ID card
    • ID issued by the Georgia, any other state, or the US government
    • Military ID issued by US or any state
    • Employee ID issued by the US, Georgia, or local government
    • Tribal ID
    • Student ID issued by public schools approved by Georgia Secretary of State

You can use one of these documents if it has your name and address:

    • Current utility bill
    • Bank statement
    • Paycheck
    • Check or other document issued by the government

You will also need to give your name, birthday, voter registration address, and the address where you want the ballot to be sent.

Returning Your Ballot

If you have a Georgia driver’s license or state ID card, you must write its number on your ballot’s outer envelope.If you do not have one:

1️⃣ You should mark your ballot’s outer envelope that you don’t have either number.

2️⃣ You need to write your Social Security number’s last four digits in the space provided.

You will get a message in your ballot package if you didn’t include the correct ID with your application. If that happens, you should put a copy of any required ID in your ballot’s outer envelope.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once your absentee ballot is received by the county office, the registrar will compare the number on your driver’s license or state identification card to your voter registration record to verify your identity.

If you do not provide either of these ID numbers, then the registrar will examine the copies of the other documents you were required to submit with your application.

If the number is missing, does not match what is on record, or your other ID documentation is not sufficient for any reason, your county will contact you and provide a document whereby you can provide the necessary ID to verify your ballot.

Voter Registration in Georgia

Georgia Voter Eligibility Requirements

To vote in Georgia you must first be registered. You are eligible to register to vote in Georgia if you meet all of the following requirements:

  • A citizen of the United States
  • A legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you wish to vote
  • At least 17 1/2 years of age to register (you must be 18 to vote)

Georgia Voter Registration ID Requirements

To register to vote:

  • You must provide your driver’s license number or state ID number if you have one.
  • If you do not have either of these IDs, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number if you have one.
  • If you do not have a Social Security Number, then leave that space blank on your registration form.

If you did not provide a driver’s license, state ID or Social Security Number or the state can’t match up your numbers to official records, you will have to show an ID document the first time you vote.

  • If you vote in person, present one of the acceptable forms of ID; OR
  • If you vote by mail, provide a copy of one of the acceptable forms of ID with your absentee (or mail-in) ballot.

You may NOT register to vote if you: 

  • Are currently serving a sentence for a felony
  • Have been ruled mentally incompetent by a court

How to Register to Vote in Georgia

In Georgia, you can register to vote in one of three ways:

  1. Online through the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system or TurboVote (requires a Georgia driver’s license or state ID card)
  2. In person by visiting your local Election Office; or 
  3. By mail by printing or requesting a voter registration application form and mailing it to your Secretary of State’s

Frequently Asked Questions

No. In Georgia, you must register at least 30 days before election day. Mail-in forms must be postmarked 30 days before the election.

You can check your voter information by searching Georgia’s My Voter Page Registration portal.

If the search does not return your information or if it shows that your information needs to be updated, you can register to vote or update your information through the same My Voter Page portal.

We recommend that you perform this search before the deadline to register to vote so that in the event that the board of elections did not receive your information, or if it is not accurate, you have time to submit a new form before the deadline.

You can also use the My Voter page portal to find your polling location.

➜ You can also check your registration, sign up for election reminders, and get help on voter registration, voter ID, voting by mail, look up your polling location, and more by visiting VoteRiders.TurboVote.org.

Each state has its own laws as to whether individuals previously convicted of a crime can vote. To check on your eligibility to register to vote in Georgia use Restore Your Vote. 

You can also learn more by reading our article, Can Persons Convicted of a Felony Vote in the United States?

As a college student, you may vote using your Georgia school residence address.

You can only be registered in your home state or in Georgia if you attend school there. You may only be registered and vote in one location.

Registering to vote in Georgia will not impact your financial aid or tax status.

You can learn more about voting for students and review each state’s rules regarding Voter ID.

➜ Get in touch with VoteRiders if you have questions or need free help securing ID!