Georgia absentee ballots could arrive in mail as early as this week

ATLANTA — Absentee ballots are in the mail to Georgia voters who have requested them. This week, the Secretary of State’s office started sending out large batches of ballots to voters.

“We think about election day being November 3rd, but essentially election day is now?” Channel 2 investigative reporter Justin Gray asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

“It’s starting really right now when you get your absentee ballot,” Raffensperger responded.

Those ballots are going into the mail this week to Georgia voters who’ve already requested them.

Raffensperger says more than 1 million are being mailed over the next few days.

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You can cast your vote as soon as that ballot arrives.

“I would encourage voters if you get the absentee ballot in the next week or two, please don’t take it to the limit. Get it off your kitchen table, make your choice, close it up, sign your name put a stamp on it,” said Raffensperger.

Any Georgia voter can still go to the state’s new online absentee ballot portal and request a ballot.

Raffensperger says 168,000 Georgia voters have requested ballots so far that way.

We reported back in June about voters not receiving absentee ballots they requested in time to vote in the primary, particularly in Fulton county.

The Secretary of State says he expects a better performance this time around

“We are in much better shape than we were in June. The counties really stepped it up and they put more personnel to go ahead and begin that processing, so we feel very confident that people are going to get their absentee ballots early this time,” Raffensperger said.

Political expert expects long lines on election day

Cox Media Group