Board of Elections

Director of Elections

 Susan Williams  swilliams@polkga.org

                          Know Before You Go!
If you are not sure if you are registered to vote/or where you need to vote on Election Day you can sign on to
                         www.sos.ga.gov/mvp
             to check your status and information.

 Elderly and Disabled Absentee By Mail voters must complete two absentee by mail applications for 2012. One for the March 6 ,2012 Presidential Preference Primary and one for the July 31, 2012 General Primary. 

    Absentee Voting - by mail

 Any registered voter who is eligible to vote in an election may request an absentee ballot by mail up to 180 days before the election. Exception: Military Voters and Overseas Voters can apply for an absentee ballot at any time. A voter who requests an absentee ballot by mail is not required to provide a reason why he or she is voting absentee.

 A completed application must be received before an absentee ballot is mailed. You may call the Elections & Registration department at 770-749-2103 and request an application be mailed to you or you may download the form (see Home page).

 You may return the application in one of two ways:
* Fax the application to 770-749-2194 and include a contact number or
* Mail the application to:
Polk  County Elections,144 West Avenue, Ste D,Cedartown,GA 30125

 The last day for the Elections & Registration office to receive absentee applications is the Friday before the election. Any absentee application received after the Friday before the election will be rejected.

 Absentee Voting - in office

 Any voter who is eligible to vote in an election is welcome to come to the Elections & Registration office, complete an application, present one of the 6 forms of photo ID, and vote in the office. Please note: Ballots cannot be removed from the office.

 Absentee Voting - Military & Overseas

 Absentee- Uniformed and Overseas Citizens:

 A member of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marines of theUnited Statesor a spouse or dependant living outside the county or municipality in which the election is held or a civilian permanently residing overseas, may make proper application for voter registration on the official post card provided for by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). A properly executed FPCA card shall be considered to be an application for an absentee ballot and shall constitute a request for an absentee ballot for the period beginning upon receipt of such card and extending through the second regularly scheduled general election in which federal candidates are on the ballot for all elections for federal offices held during such period. (O.C.G.A. 21-2-219 (b),(d)).

 Absentee voting materials may be obtained through your unit Voting Assistance Officer (VAO), Embassy, or Consulate. An on-line (PDF) version of the FPCA is also available for all states and territories except Guam and American Samoaat http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html An FPCA may be submitted to the Elections & Registration office by mail or fax more than 180 days prior to a primary or election in which a federal candidate appears on the ballot.

 Reasons we may not be able to process your Federal Post Card Application

 The form was not completed as requested by the applicant's state of residence. See the Voting Assistance Guide (VAG).

 Could not determine a voter's eligibility to vote because the voting residence address was incomplete, incorrect or illegible.

 A current mailing address was not provided.

 The form was not signed and dated.

 The form was illegible.

 The FPCA can be completed on-line or printed out and completed. After completing the application, it must be signed, dated and placed in an envelope affixed with proper postage. Postage free envelopes, for use in the U.S. Postal System, can also be printed from the FVAP web site.

 Remember to send a new form in when you change your mailing address!

 Absentee Voting by Overseas Citizens:

 AUnited Statescitizen whose most recent domicile wasGeorgiaand is now a permanent overseas citizen shall only be authorized to vote for presidential electors andUnited Statessenator or representative in Congress. Permanent overseas citizens shall be deemed residents of the precinct in which the county courthouse is located (O.C.G.A. 21-2-219(c).

 Keep in mind that exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state as your residence and have other ties with that state in addition to voting then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon that particular state law. Appendix E of the 2004-05 Voting Assistance Guide contains information on probable tax obligations. Consult your legal counsel for specific questions.

 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WEB SITE AT FVAP.GOV

 Registration Information

 Registering to Vote

 Voter Qualifications

 To register to vote in the state ofGeorgia, you must be:

 A citizen of theUnited States

• A legal resident ofGeorgiaand of the county in which you wish to vote
• At least 18 years of age by election day

 You may not register to vote if you are currently:

 Serving any sentence imposed by the conviction of a felony

• Judicially determined to be mentally incompetent

 There are several convenient methods of registering to vote:

 Contact the Polk County Board of Elections & Registration, public assistance office, recruitment office, public libraries, county fire stations, and city hall offices for a mail-in registration form.

• Registration is offered when you renew or apply for your driver's license at Department of Motor Vehicle Safety driver's license posts.
• College students can obtain a voter registration form from their school registrar's office or from the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
• Download a registration form at www.sos.georgia.gov/elections/voter_registration/voter_reg_app.htm

 
Change of Residence

 Voters are required to notify the board of registrars of their county of residence whenever they move. Change of address must be submitted up to 30 days preceding any election.

 This can be done by writing your county board of registrar's office or by submitting a new voter registration application.

 Precinct Cards

 If you have misplaced or have not received your precinct card within two to three weeks of submitting your application, please contact the Polk County Board of Elections at 770-749-2103 to request a new precinct card or to check the status of your application.

 Voter Identification Card

 Georgia Voter Identification Card

 If you are a registered voter and do not have aGeorgiadriver's license orGeorgiaidentification card, you can receive a free Georgia Voter Identification Card today. Your free Georgia Voter Identification Card is available through the County Voter Registrar's Office in the county where you live.

 In order to receive your free Georgia Voter Identification Card, you will need to present a document confirming your identity to your County Voter Registrar which includes the following:

 your full legal name and date of birth;

• and/or your full legal name and residential address.

 You can use the same document to confirm your identity AND residential address. For a complete listing of acceptable documentation, please visit the State Election Board website via http://www.gaseb.org/rules_183-1-20.pdf.

   Board Members:

 Duane Davidson- Chairman  (District 3)

 Bill Heaton - Vice Chairman (District 1)

 Judy Furr - Member (District 2)