Ga. absentee voters face mail delays, vanishing drop boxes

AUGUSTA, Ga. – More than 200,000 Georgians have requested an absentee ballot and already, 60,000 of them have been returned.

But the ballot drop boxes that appeared during the pandemic are now less accessible than they were then.

Senate Bill 202, passed after the 2020 election, in part vastly reduced the number of drop boxes across the state, allowing only one box for every 100,000 voters in a county.

The drop boxes were also moved to the inside of voting precincts.

“It needs to be more accessible,” said Georgia voter Rebecca Flynn, who lost her local ballot drop box this year. “To have it completely gone was very frustrating.”

Flynn had to drive 30 minutes one way to the next closest box. Poll workers there told her that she should always mail the ballot in, but left her with a warning.

“I asked if they’d recommend that and they said, it’s up to you but I wouldn’t do it,” said Flynn.

For months, lawmakers and postal officials have been warning that the issues plaguing the United States Postal Service could impact the timely return of absentee ballots, and that appears to be coming to fruition less than 20 days out from the election itself.

“With something so important as my vote, I don’t want anything to happen to it so I didn’t want to take any chances,” said Flynn.

Absentee ballots have to be returned to county elections offices via a drop box or by mail by 7 p.m. when the polls close on Nov. 5.

Despite the problems with absentee voting, advance in-person voters are setting records across Georgia. Early voting opened with a record in Georgia as well as Augusta, and the records continued through the weekend.

Augusta advance voting locations and schedule:

• Linda W. Beazley Community Room in the Municipal Building, 535 Telfair Street. Oct. 15- Oct 19, Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Henry Brigham Community Center, 2463 Golden Camp Road. Oct. 15-Oct 19, Oct. 21-Oct. 26, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Warren Road Community Center, 300 Warren Road. Oct. 15-Oct 19, Oct. 21-Oct. 26, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Robert Howard Community Center at Diamond Lakes. 103 Diamond Lakes Way. Oct. 15-Oct 19, Oct. 21-Oct. 26, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Absentee Drop Box, Municipal Building, 535 Telfair Street. Oct. 15- Oct 19, Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Voters need to show any one of these photo IDs at the polls:

• 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.
• 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 the state.
• Valid U.S. passport ID.
• Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter.
• Student photo ID card issued by a Georgia public college, university, or technical school.
• Valid tribal photo ID containing your photograph.

Voters unable to provide photo identification can vote through a provisional ballot. They will need to provide a copy of their ID within three days after the election to their county board of elections and registration.

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