If you have been meaning to vote early and keep pushing it to “tomorrow,” this is your week. Advance voting for Georgia’s November 3 general election ends Friday, October 30. After that, your only in-person option is Election Day at your assigned precinct.
Here is what Fulton County voters need to know to get it done, plus a few tips to make the trip quick and painless.
Why going early beats waiting
Early voting gives you room to breathe. If you forget your ID, you can run home and come back tomorrow. If the line wraps around the library, you can try another site across town. On Election Day you get one precinct and one shot, and a sick kid, a flat tire or a double shift can wipe it out. Going early turns voting into one more errand on your list instead of a race against the clock.
Dates and hours in Fulton County
Fulton’s advance voting sites keep the same schedule all the way through Friday:
- Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday: noon to 5 p.m.
That gives you this Saturday, this Sunday and five full weekdays. The county is running 32 early voting locations, and during advance voting you can use any of them, not just the one closest to your house. Vote near your job, near your kid’s school, wherever fits your day.
Early voting sites inside the City of Atlanta
Here are some of the in-town locations Fulton County has announced:
- Adams Park Library
- Beulah Heights University
- Buckhead Library
- C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center
- High Museum of Art
- Joan P. Garner Library at Ponce de Leon
- Mechanicsville Library
- Metropolitan Library
- Northside Library
- Northwest Library at Scotts Crossing
The full list with addresses is at fultonelections.com and in the free Fulton Votes app. Live in DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton or Gwinnett? Your county runs its own sites and hours, so check your county elections office before you head out.
What to bring
Georgia requires a photo ID to vote in person. Accepted forms include:
- A Georgia driver’s license, even if it has expired
- A free Georgia voter ID card
- A U.S. passport
- A U.S. military photo ID
- A photo ID issued by a government employer
- A tribal photo ID
Before you go, log in to the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov. You can confirm your registration, find your Election Day precinct and look over a sample ballot so nothing at the bottom of the ballot catches you off guard.
Already have an absentee ballot?
The deadline to request one passed on October 23. If you already have yours, it must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, so don’t trust a last-minute stamp. In Fulton, seven advance voting sites have drop boxes for absentee ballots during early voting hours. You can also hand-deliver it to a county registrar’s office, including the Fulton County Government Center downtown. Check fultonelections.com for the current list of offices and hours.
Make the trip easy
- Skip Friday afternoon if you can. Last-day crowds are a classic Atlanta move.
- Read your sample ballot ahead of time so you are not deciding on the spot.
- Bring water, a charged phone and a little patience.
- Make it a group thing. Ride with a neighbor, then grab lunch together after.
Missed early voting? Here is your backup
On Tuesday, November 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you must vote at your assigned precinct. If you are in line by 7 p.m., stay in line. You still get to vote.
Hours and locations can change, so confirm the details with Fulton County Registration and Elections or the Georgia Secretary of State before you go. Then go handle it, Atlanta.
