ACLU of Georgia Urges DeKalb County to Process Absentee Ballot Applications As Required by Law
ATLANTA – The ACLU of Georgia urges the DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections Office to process absentee ballot applications for the November general election as required by law. The ACLU of Georgia obtained an email in which the DeKalb Elections Office stated that “Applications are processed in order of the elections. Although you can submit a request 180 days before an election, they will not be processed if another election is happening before the requested date.”
Georgia law states “The board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk shall mail or issue official absentee ballots to all eligible applicants not more than 49 days but not less than 45 days prior to any presidential preference primary, general primary other than a municipal general primary, general election other than a municipal general election, or special primary or special election in which there is a candidate for a federal office on the ballot.” Part of DeKalb County falls within the boundaries of the special election to fill the remainder of Congressman John Lewis’ term of office on September 29.
“Keeping faith with protecting our sacred right to vote is the best way to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis,” said Christopher Bruce, political director of the ACLU of Georgia. “By law, every county in Georgia should already be processing absentee ballot applications for November and preparing to mail those ballots out on September 15. If any of the counties in this congressional district are waiting until after September 29 to start processing and mailing absentee ballots, with the expected record turnout, we are in for a disaster that can be avoided by following the law.”
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