FILE PHOTO USED FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES: (left to right) Christina Allen with her son, Hartley, 13 months, and David Garrett vote at the First Christian Church of Decatur in Decatur, Ga. on November 5, 2019. Photo by Rebecca Breyer, contributor
By Dan Whisenhunt
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DeKalb County, GA — People who choose to vote on Election Day instead of voting early might find that they have a precinct different than the one they usually use.
Early voting ends Oct. 30 for people who want to avoid confusion. You can vote at any early voting location in the county no matter where you reside. For more details about early voting, click here.
According to DeKalb County, “Many of the previous precincts were used on an emergency basis during the June 9 and Aug. 11 elections, while additional precincts were changed to provide additional space for social distancing and to better accommodate larger crowds. Additionally, secure ballot drop boxes [for absentee ballots] have been added to the Kirkwood Library and Lithonia City Hall.”
Here is a full list of the precinct changes voters will encounter if the vote on Nov. 3 instead of voting early.
“While we are experiencing record early and absentee voting in DeKalb, we know that many voters are eagerly awaiting an opportunity to cast their ballots on Election Day,” DeKalb County Voter Registration and Election Director Erica Hamilton said in a press release. “We want all voters to double-check their polling locations to ensure that they know where to go to vote.”
The county also is mailing voters a letter to notify them about the precinct change. Signs will be placed at the old precincts directing voters to the new locations.
“Given the gravity of this global pandemic, we have to keep the health and well-being of our voters and workers as our top priority, and these larger venues will allow voters to practice social distancing and will create better traffic flow on what we anticipate to be a historically busy day of voting,” Hamilton said in the press release. “We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to serving the voters of DeKalb.”
Changes will also be posted at www.DeKalbVotes.com.
To vote in-person during early voting, you’ll need to bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or voter identification card, according to georgia.gov.
You have to be 18 to vote.
People who wish to vote early and in-person will need to bring one of the following forms of identification, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office:
– Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID Card issued by your county registrar’s office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)
– A Georgia Driver’s License, even if expired
– Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state
– Valid U.S. passport ID
– Valid U.S. military photo ID
– Valid tribal photo ID
The polls offer audio ballots for voters who are blind or have low vision and booths for voters in wheelchairs.
To find your polling location and check whether your absentee ballot was accepted by visiting the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. To visit the page, click here. This page will also provide information about your polling place if you choose to vote on Election Day.
Please vote in the Nov. 3 elections.
Read the original story on Decaturish.com.
