Provisional Ballots

Provisional Ballots Provisional voting allows you to cast a ballot in  person even if all the requirements for doing so  cannot be met at the time. The provisional ballot will  count if the problem is solved within three days after  Election Day.

The three reasons for voting a provisional ballot are:

1. You are unable to show one of the required forms of photo ID when you vote in person;
2. When you first registered to vote in Georgia, you registered by mail, did not provide any identification at that time, and are unable to present acceptable identification the first time you vote in person; or
3. Your name does not appear on the list of registered voters in the precinct.

If you vote a provisional ballot because you did not have acceptable identification, you will have three days from the close of the polls to present acceptable identification to your county registrar office for your vote to count. If you voted a provisional ballot because your name did not appear on the list of registered voters in the precinct, the  county registrar has up to three days after the election  to determine if you were properly registered to vote in  that election. If you were, your vote will count. If you  were not eligible to vote in that election, your vote  will not be counted, and you will be notified in writing.  

If you were eligible to vote but voted in the wrong  precinct, only the votes for candidates for which you  were entitled to vote will be counted, and you will  be notified in writing that your ballot was partially  counted for your correct precinct.

In federal elections only, if the polling place is kept  open after 7:00 PM because of a court order, anyone arriving after 7:00 PM will vote by provisional ballot. If you are eligible to vote and the order stands, your vote will be counted.