“The excitement and turnout for this runoff were unparalleled, but for far too many Georgians, their work is not finished. Throughout this election cycle, officials relied on providing voters with provisional ballots and muddied the absentee ballot return process, which has in both instances put the onus on voters to check and correct/fix any issue with their ballot.
“If voters were issued a provisional ballot, then they must follow-up with their county’s election office and provide them with any outstanding information by 5 pm on Friday to ensure their vote counts. Similarly, if voters used and returned an absentee ballot, they should use the state’s My Voter Page and check the status of their ballot to make sure it says accepted or completed, not returned.
“Election officials have a moral and professional obligation to exhaust efforts and contact voters whose ballots are in limbo. They must count every vote and ensure that every vote counts.”
Background:
In accordance with Georgia state law, voters who cast a provisional ballot are permitted to contact their county’s elections office to “cure” issues with their provisional ballot within three days of Election Day – or by Friday, January 8 at 5 pm. Provisional ballots are issued if voters are unable to produce a state-approved form of identification or if their eligibility is in question.