Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2020
2022 →
← 2018
|
|
2020 Georgia House Elections | |
---|---|
![]() | |
General | November 3, 2020 |
Primary | June 9, 2020 |
Primary runoff | August 11, 2020 |
Runoff election | December 1, 2020 |
Past Election Results |
2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
2020 Elections | |
---|---|
Choose a chamber below: | |
Republicans lost two seats but kept their majority in the 2020 elections for Georgia House of Representatives. All 180 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 105 seats, Democrats controlled 73, a third-party legislator held one, and one was vacant. Democrats gained a net three seats and Republicans lost a net two seats, leaving the Republican Party with a 103-76 majority. In the 2018 elections, Republicans lost a net nine seats but retained a 105-74 majority.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 25 of the races as battlegrounds, 12 of which were Democrat-held districts and 13 of which were Republican-held districts.
Heading into the election, Georgia had been under a Republican trifecta since the 2004 election, when Republicans won the state House. Republicans took control of the state Senate and Governorship in the 2002 elections.
Democrats needed to gain 16 seats to take control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans had the chance to increase their majority if they win any of the Democrat-controlled battleground seats.
The Georgia House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. All 180 seats in the Georgia House of Representatives were up for election in 2018.
Georgia's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Georgia, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
Click here for more information on redistricting procedures in Georgia after the 2020 census.
Heading into the 2020 general election, Republicans controlled 59 out of 99 state legislative chambers in the U.S., while Democrats controlled 39 chambers. The Alaska House was the sole chamber in which there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties. Republicans also had trifectas in 21 states. A party has a trifecta when it controls the governorship and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Georgia modified its absentee/mail-in voting and candidate filing procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Candidate filing procedures: The petitioning deadline for minor-party and unaffiliated candidates was extended to August 14, 2020. The petition signature requirement for independent and minor-party candidates was reduced to 70 percent of their original numbers.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
Georgia House of Representatives | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
Democratic Party | 75 | 76 | |
Republican Party | 104 | 103 | |
Vacancy | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 180 | 180 |
Districts
- See also: Georgia state legislative districts
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Candidates
General election
Primary runoff
Georgia House of Representatives primary runoff 2020 |
|||
|
|||
Office | ![]() |
![]() |
Other |
District 1 |
|
||
District 9 |
|
||
District 10 |
|
||
District 18 |
|
||
District 20 |
|
||
District 21 |
|
||
District 33 |
|
||
District 35 |
|
||
District 65 |
|
||
District 86 |
|
||
District 163 |
|
Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Georgia Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[1]
Georgia House of Representatives primary 2020 |
|||
|
|||
Office | ![]() |
![]() |
Other |
District 1 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 3 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 5 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 6 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 7 |
|
|
|
District 8 |
|
||
District 9 |
|
|
|
District 10 |
|
||
District 11 |
|
||
District 12 |
|
|
|
District 13 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
District 14 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 15 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 16 |
|
||
District 17 |
|
|
|
District 18 |
|
||
District 19 |
|
|
|
District 20 |
Rick Ballew |
|
|
District 21 |
|
||
District 22 |
|
|
|
District 23 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 24 |
|
||
District 25 |
|
|
|
District 26 |
|
||
District 27 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 28 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 29 |
|
|
|
District 30 |
|
||
District 31 |
|
|
|
District 32 |
|
|
|
District 33 |
|
||
District 34 |
|
|
|
District 35 |
|
|
|
District 36 |
|
|
|
District 37 |
|
||
District 38 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 39 |
|
||
District 40 |
|
|
|
District 41 |
|
|
|
District 42 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 43 |
|
|
|
District 44 |
|
|
|
District 45 |
|
|
|
District 46 |
|
|
|
District 47 |
|
|
|
District 48 |
|
|
|
District 49 |
|
||
District 50 |
|
|
|
District 51 |
|
|
|
District 52 |
|
|
|
District 53 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 54 |
|
|
|
District 55 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 56 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 57 |
Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 58 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 59 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 60 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 61 |
Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 62 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 63 |
|
||
District 64 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 65 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 66 |
|
||
District 67 |
|
|
|
District 68 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
District 69 |
|
|
|
District 70 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 71 |
|
||
District 72 |
|
|
|
District 73 |
|
|
|
District 74 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 75 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 76 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 77 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 78 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 79 |
|
|
|
District 80 |
|
|
|
District 81 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 82 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 83 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 84 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 85 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 86 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 87 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 88 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 89 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 90 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 91 |
Vernon Jones (i) (unofficially withdrew) |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 92 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 93 |
|
||
District 94 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 95 |
|
|
|
District 96 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 97 |
|
|
|
District 98 |
|
|
|
District 99 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 100 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 101 |
|
|
|
District 102 |
|
|
|
District 103 |
|
||
District 104 |
|
|
|
District 105 |
|
|
|
District 106 |
|
|
|
District 107 |
|
||
District 108 |
|
|
|
District 109 |
|
|
|
District 110 |
|
||
District 111 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 112 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
|
|
District 113 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 114 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 115 |
|
|
|
District 116 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 117 |
|
|
|
District 118 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 119 |
|
|
|
District 120 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 121 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 122 |
|
|
|
District 123 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 124 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 125 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 126 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
|
District 127 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 128 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 129 |
|
|
|
District 130 |
|
|
|
District 131 |
|
||
District 132 |
|
||
District 133 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 134 |
|
|
|
District 135 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 136 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 137 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 138 |
|
|
|
District 139 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 140 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 141 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 142 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 143 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 144 |
|
|
|
District 145 |
|
|
|
District 146 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 147 |
|
||
District 148 |
|
||
District 149 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 150 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 151 |
|
|
|
District 152 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 153 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 154 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 155 |
|
|
|
District 156 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 157 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 158 |
|
|
|
District 159 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 160 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 161 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 162 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 163 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 164 |
|
|
|
District 165 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 166 |
|
|
|
District 167 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 168 |
|
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
District 169 |
|
|
|
District 170 |
|
|
|
District 171 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 172 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 173 |
|
|
|
District 174 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 175 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 176 |
|
|
|
District 177 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 178 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
District 179 |
|
|
|
District 180 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
|
|
2020 battleground chamber
The Georgia House of Representatives was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.
What was at stake?
- Democrats needed to gain 16 seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
- If Democrats had flipped or split control of the chamber, they would have broken the Republican trifecta. If Republicans had maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate, they would have preserved their trifecta.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats needed to flip: Democrats needed to flip 16 of the 180 seats up (9% of the chamber) in order to win a majority.
- More flips in 2018 than needed to change control in 2020: More seats flipped in the 2018 election (11) than needed to flip to change control of the chamber in 2020 (16).
- Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Georgia House of Representatives a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[2]
Battleground races
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified 25 battleground races in the Georgia House of Representatives 2020 elections, 12 of which were Democrat-held districts while the other 13 were Republican-held districts. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
In the table below, a bolded name indicates the winner of an election.
Battleground races map
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
Four incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:
Name | Party | Office |
---|---|---|
Deborah Silcox | ![]() |
House District 52 |
Brett Harrell | ![]() |
House District 106 |
Dale Rutledge | ![]() |
House District 109 |
Robert Trammell | ![]() |
House District 132 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
Three incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries and two lost in the Aug. 11 runoffs. Those incumbents were:
Retiring incumbents
There were 17 open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] Those incumbents were:
Name | Party | Office |
---|---|---|
Colton Moore | ![]() |
House District 1 |
Matt Gurtler | ![]() |
House District 8 |
Kevin Tanner | ![]() |
House District 9 |
Terry Rogers | ![]() |
House District 10 |
Kevin Cooke | ![]() |
House District 18 |
Michael Caldwell | ![]() |
House District 20 |
Scot Turner | ![]() |
House District 21 |
Marc Morris | ![]() |
House District 26 |
Tom McCall | ![]() |
House District 33 |
Mable Thomas | ![]() |
House District 56 |
Pat Gardner | ![]() |
House District 57 |
Valencia Stovall | ![]() |
House District 74 |
Brenda Lopez Romero | ![]() |
House District 99 |
Andrew Welch | ![]() |
House District 110 |
Ken Pullin | ![]() |
House District 131 |
Jimmy Pruett | ![]() |
House District 149 |
J. Craig Gordon | ![]() |
House District 163 |
The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
Open Seats in Georgia House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
2020 | 180 | 18 (10 percent) | 162 (90 percent) |
2018 | 180 | 17 (9 percent) | 163 (91 percent) |
2016 | 180 | 15 (8 percent) | 165 (92 percent) |
2014 | 180 | 10 (6 percent) | 170 (94 percent) |
2012 | 180 | 6 (3 percent) | 174 (97 percent) |
2010 | 180 | 26 (14 percent) | 154 (86 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 21, Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Georgia Code
There are four ways for a candidate to gain ballot access in Georgia: as a political party candidate, as a political organization candidate, as an independent candidate or as a write-in.
Requirements for all candidates
All candidates are required to pay a filing fee; filing fees vary from year-to-year. In lieu of a filing fee, a candidate may submit a pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition, which certifies that the candidate is unable to pay the fee. The affidavit includes a financial statement that lists the candidate's total income, assets, liabilities, and other relevant financial information. This information must indicate that the candidate has neither the assets nor the income to pay the qualifying fee normally required. The pauper's affidavit must be accompanied by a qualifying petition containing signatures as follows:[4]
- One-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last general election if the candidate is seeking statewide office
- 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the office being sought by the candidate if the candidate is seeking an office other than statewide office
Political party candidates
A political party candidate is nominated at his or her party's primary election. An individual cannot become a political party candidate if he or she has already qualified for the same primary election with a different political party, or if he or she has filed as an independent or political organization candidate. Political parties determine the rules for qualifying to appear on the primary election ballot. However, there are some stipulations set by the state to which all political party candidates must adhere. These include the following:[5][6][7]
- filing a declaration of candidacy and an affidavit with the political party during the political party qualifying period, which is set by the Georgia Secretary of State; the affidavit must state the following:
- the name of the candidate as he or she wishes it to appear on the ballot
- the candidate’s residence
- the candidate’s occupation
- the candidate’s precinct
- that the candidate is eligible to vote in the primary in which he or she is running
- the office the candidate is seeking
- that the candidate is eligible to hold the office he or she is seeking
- that the candidate will not knowingly violate any election rule or law
- that the candidate has never been convicted or sentenced for violation of election laws, malfeasance in office or a felony involving moral turpitude, or, if the candidate has been convicted and sentenced for such crimes, that at least 10 years have passed since completion of the sentence and that the candidate's civil rights have been restored
- paying the qualifying fee or submitting a pauper's affidavit and the accompanying qualifying petition
Within three days of the end of the qualifying period, a political party must certify to the Georgia Secretary of State a list of those candidates who successfully qualified with the party for the primary election and turn in the qualifying fees paid by the candidates, the declarations of candidacy, and the affidavits.[8]
Political organization candidates
A political organization candidate can be nominated by his or her organization's convention, if the political organization has qualified to hold such a convention, or by petition. A candidate cannot file as a political organization candidate if he or she has already filed for the same office as a political party candidate.[6]
If nominated by convention, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State during the political party qualifying period. After a candidate is chosen at the convention, the candidate must pay the filing fee for the corresponding office to the Georgia Secretary of State. If the candidate cannot afford the filing fee, he or she must file a pauper's affidavit and accompanying qualifying petition. With the filing fee or pauper's affidavit, a certified copy of the minutes of the convention, attested to by the chairperson and secretary of the convention, must also be filed.[4][9]
If nominated by petition, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for these petitions are the same as those for independent candidates, which are listed below. In order for a candidate filing by petition to be recognized as a political organization candidate, the political organization must provide a sworn certificate stating that the named candidate is the nominee of that political organization.[4][10]
Independent candidates
A candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she has qualified for the same office with any political party or political organization. An independent candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for the petitions are as follows:[4][6][10]
- For a candidate seeking statewide office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 1 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
- For candidates seeking any other office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 5 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
Petitions cannot be circulated for more than 180 days between the signing of the first signature and the last.[10]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate can only run in the general election. A candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she ran for the same office as a political party candidate in the immediately preceding primary election. A write-in candidate must file a notice of intention of write-in candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State no earlier than January 1 in the year of the election and no later than the first Monday in September in the year of the election. After the notice of intention is filed, a notice must also be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the state. Once this notice has been published, the candidate must file with the Georgia Secretary of State a copy of the published notice, as well as an affidavit stating that the notice has been published. The affidavit can be filled out by the candidate or by the publisher or an employee of the newspaper.[11]
Qualifications
Paragraph 3 of Section 2 of Article 3 of the Georgia Constitution states, "At the time of their election, the members of the House of Representatives shall be citizens of the United States, shall be at least 21 years of age, shall have been citizens of this state for at least two years, and shall have been legal residents of the territory embraced within the district from which elected for at least one year."
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[12] | |
---|---|
Salary | Per diem |
$24,341.64/year | $247/day |
When sworn in
Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[13]
Redistricting in Georgia
- See also: Redistricting in Georgia
In Georgia, both congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. A simple majority in each chamber is required to approve redistricting plans, which are subject to veto by the governor.[14]
The Georgia Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no similar requirements for congressional districts.[14][15]
Georgia political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in Georgia
2016 Presidential election results
U.S. presidential election, Georgia, 2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 45.6% | 1,877,963 | 0 | |
Republican | ![]() |
50.8% | 2,089,104 | 16 | |
Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3% | 125,306 | 0 | |
- | Other/Write-in | 0.5% | 22,359 | 0 | |
Total Votes | 4,114,732 | 16 | |||
Election results via: Federal Election Commission |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[16][17]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In cities with a population greater than 300,000 people, polls remain open until 8 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[18]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of their county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election, and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.[19][20]
The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.[19]
Automatic registration
In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.[21][22]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.[23][24][25]
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.
In Georgia, an individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information on a voter registration application is guilty of a felony.[26] [25]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[27] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.[28]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
“ |
|
” |
Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.
Early voting
Georgia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Georgia. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. The ballot application deadline is 11 days before Election Day. A completed ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[31]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Qualifying Candidate Information," accessed March 10, 2020
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-132," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-151," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-137," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-153," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-154," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-172," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-170," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-133," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Constitution - Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 All About Redistricting, "Georgia," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ Georgia Constitution, "Article 3, Section 2," accessed April 23, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "2023 Georgia Code § 21-2-224 - Registration deadlines; restrictions on voting in primaries; official list of electors; voting procedure when portion of county changed from one county to another," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ State of Georgia, "Vote in Person on Election Day," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "How-to Guide: Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Automatic Voter Registration Surges After Web Fix," May 24, 2022
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Automatic registration leads to surge of new Georgia voters," April 29, 2019
- ↑ Justia, "Georgia Code, Section 21-2-216," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," accessed October 6, 2019
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Registration Application," accessed November 14, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Voter Identification Requirements," accessed August 12, 2024
- ↑ This includes colleges, universities, and technical colleges.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia.gov, "Vote by Absentee Ballot," accessed August 12, 2024