When CAN I vote?

There are three kinds of elections: Primary Election, General Election, and Runoff Election. The schedules of these elections are related to one another 

• In a Primary Election, voters choose who will be their party’s candidates for elected office. There are some important details about primaries to keep in mind. When you vote in a primary election, you must choose a Democratic ballot,  Republican ballot, or nonpartisan ballot. The nonpartisan ballot has races with candidates who are not Democratic or Republican, which is mostly races for judges. Here’s a tip: choose the one ballot with the most candidates that you support. Choosing a primary ballot does not commit you to a party or make you a party member. When you vote in the primary, you must stick with that party if there’s a primary runoff.  

• Once the parties’ candidates have been chosen, these candidates run, or compete, against each other for office in the General Election. In the general election, every voter gets an identical ballot. These races can be charged with strong emotions. They’re called races for a reason! On Election Day voters decide which party’s candidate will serve in elected office. 

  A Runoff Election takes place when no candidate receives at least half the votes in a primary election or general election.

In 2022, Election Day is November 8, the last day you can vote. The Runoff Election, if it’s necessary, is scheduled for December 6. 

A midterm election is a General Election held half-way (two years) into a President’s term of office. This year, 2022, is a midterm. It is the midpoint between 2020 and 2024.

An official list of important dates in the election process can be found online.

In Georgia, voting dates have changed this year. Keep these dates in mind:

• The deadline for registering is Tuesday, Oct 11.

• Early voting starts on Monday, October 17 and ends Friday, November 4.

• Mandatory Saturday Voting: October 22 and October 29

• The last day to vote is Election Day — Tuesday, Nov 8. Poll hours are 7 am-7 pm.

• The Runoff Election is scheduled for December 6.