Know your voting status

Published 8:00 am Saturday, June 18, 2016

This week, several local voters received misinformation in the mail regarding their voting status. They were incorrectly notified by an organization outside of Baldwin County that they were not eligible to vote in November’s General Election. In an effort to combat confusion, local election officials with the registrar’s office are urging local voters to check their voting status through a reputable source, such as the Baldwin County Registrars Office or the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

While local officials were able to ease panic for many local electors, it does bring to our attention the importance of knowing your voter status and not waiting until the last minute to check into it to ensure that everything is up to date.

While it may seem far away now, the General Election is just four months away. Don’t wait until November to check into your voting status.

Registered voters in Georgia can call their local voter registrar’s office to verify that they are eligible to vote. Voters should also check to make sure their address and information are listed correctly and the same as it is on the identification they plan to use when they show up to vote.

Remember that photo identification is required and may include a Georgia Driver’s License (even if expired), a state or federal issued ID, a valid U.S. passport, a valid military photo ID or a valid tribal ID. If these forms of identification are not accessible, free Voter Identification Cards are available through the county registrar’s office or the Department of Driver Services.

Make sure also to know where your voting precinct is located. Be sure your identification is up to date, so you’ll be prepared on Election Day.

If you are not currently a registered voter, remember that there’s still time to become one. The last day to register to become eligible to vote in November’s General Election is Oct. 11.

Early voting for the General Election begins Oct. 17.

Stop by the voter registrar’s office, visit www.sos.ga.gov or search “GA votes” in the app store from your Android or Apple mobile device.

Local residents who were recently alarmed by the misinformation they received regarding their voting status did the right thing by calling the registrar’s office, and those who are in doubt about their status shouldn’t wait until the last minute to do the same.