2020 GEORGIA RUNOFF RESOURCES

How to Vote in Georgia’s Jan 5, 2021 US Senate Runoff

Here’s how you can vote in Georgia’s Jan 5 Runoff Election, help choose both of Georgia’s US Senators and determine control of the US Senate. No Senate candidate got half or more of the vote November 3. So by state law, the top 2 vote-getters in each Senate race face a January 5 runoff. Find your county’s early voting locations, dates and times here, or use this locator that also includes absentee drop box locations. Download a PDF version of this resource.

Current Race Guides: 2020 Georgia Runoff Guides (English Versions)

Current Race Guides: 2020 Georgia Runoff Guides (Spanish Versions)

To volunteer, visit:

Dates and deadlines

  • Now. Apply for absentee ballots now. You must make a separate absentee ballot request for the runoff, even if you received one for the November election.  Holiday mail will cause delays and the elections office must receive them by Election Day, so request and return your immediately if you need one.
  • December 7, 2020 (Monday): Last date to register, now passed.
  • December 14, 2020 (Monday) through December 30 (Thursday) or December 31 in some counties:  In-person early voting. For info on early voting and ballot drop-off sites, use this locator tool or check the GA Sec of State site,
  • January 5, 2021 (Tuesday), 7 am to 7 pm: Runoff election date.

Register, order an absentee ballot, check or change your registration, or fix a rejected mail or provisional ballot 

Eligibility To Vote, You Must

  • Be a US citizen.
  • Be a legal resident of your county.
  • Be at least 17 ½ years old to register and 18 years old to vote. 
  • Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge. 

ID Requirements to register

To register, you’ll need either of these:

    • Your Georgia driver’s license number or state-issued ID card number.
    • The last four digits of your Social Security number.

What if you’re registering by mail for the first time in Georgia and you don’t have one of those IDs? Or what if the numbers you give aren’t in the state database? Either with your registration application or when you vote for the first time, you must give proof of residence—that means a copy of a current and valid: 

    • Photo ID, or 
    • Utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with your name and address.

ID requirements to vote

When voting in person, whether on Election Day or in Early Voting, you must show one of these forms of photo ID:

    • Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID Card from your county registrar’s office or the Georgia DDS. 
    • A Georgia Driver’s License, even if expired.
    • A student ID from most Georgia 2- and 4-year public colleges (see list), but not from private colleges.
    • Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department or agency of the US government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board or authority of Georgia.
    • Valid US passport, military photo ID or tribal photo ID.

Here’s more on voting IDs. If you don’t have acceptable ID to vote in person, you can still cast a provisional ballot, and have 3 days to show your county registrar an acceptable form of ID.

Absentee/early voting

  • In Georgia you can vote absentee without giving any reason
  • If you’ve voted before, you don’t need to provide ID when voting absentee by mail. If you haven’t, you’ll need a copy of one of the ID’s listed above.
  • You can apply for an absentee ballot online or download and mail an application form.
  • You can also vote early in person, bringing ID, starting on December 14, 2020. 
  • You’ll be able to find your county’s early voting locations, dates and times here, or use this locator that also includes absentee drop box locations.
  • Get more info on Georgia voting rules here.

Address to use for registering and voting

Federal election law lets college students register and vote at either their campus address or their permanent home address, which may be in another state. But voters can be registered at only one address. If you won’t physically be where you’re registered on January 5, you need to request an absentee ballot.

Key resources