Georgia

Your rights at the polls guide

Your Rights Under Federal Law

  • All voters have the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of race, national origin, or disability.
  • All voters have the right to vote free of intimidation.
  • All voters who need assistance by reason of disability or inability to read and write in the language of the ballot may choose someone to assist them to vote, as long as the person is not an agent/representative of the voter’s employer or union.

Your Rights When You
Check-In To Vote

  • Any voter challenge MUST be in writing, must specify distinctly the grounds of the challenge.
  • Challenges CANNOT be filed with a Poll Manager or any poll worker – they MUST be filed with the board of registrars.
  • Challengers MUST be registered voters in the same county or municipality as you.
  • Challenges under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-230 made within 45 days of an election cannot be considered until after certification of the election.

Challengers CANNOT single out groups of people for challenges, such as only challenging residence of students.

After a challenge, you have the right to:

For challenges to your qualifications as a registered voter and right to stay on the voter list (O.C.G.A. § 21-2-229):

  • A hearing within 10 business days of the notice of the challenge being sent to you.
  • The registrars must notify you about the date, time, and location of the challenge hearing at least 3 days before it
  • The burden is on the challenger to prove someone is not qualified to stay on the voter list
  • Notice of the decision and the right to appeal within 10 days to the Superior Court

For challenges to your right to vote (pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-230):

  • If it is within 45 days of the election, officials must postpone the challenge until after the election.
  • Georgia law requires the board of registers to “immediately” consider whether there is probable cause for the challenge. If not, the challenge must be dismissed.
  • Under Georgia law, “probable cause” includes at least the following:
  • Evidence that the voter is deceased;
  • Evidence that the voter voted or registered in a different jurisdiction;
  • Evidence that the voter obtained a homestead exemption in a different jurisdiction;
  • Evidence that the voter is registered at a nonresidential address;
  • If probable cause is found, the voter may receive notice and the opportunity to respond.
  • If the challenge moves forward and you appear at your polling place to vote, the board of registrars must provide an opportunity to appear before them and respond to the challenge at your polling place.
  • If the registrars end up denying the challenge, you must vote immediately and you may do so even if the polls closed before the registrars made their decision.
  • If it is not practical to conduct a hearing before the polls close, you have the right to cast a challenged ballot. If the challenge is based on your qualifications to be registered, the registrar must finish the hearing before the certification of the returns by the election superintendent. You may appeal the decision of the registrar to the Superior Court within 10 days.
  • Different rules apply if you cast an absentee ballot.
  • If you don’t try to vote in that specific election and the challenge is not to your qualifications, no further action on the challenge will be taken.

If your registration has been challenged because the challenger believes you are not a U.S. citizen, you have a right to present documentation of citizenship at the polls and cast a regular ballot.

Q&A: Your rights inside the polling place

01. Who can I speak to if I am having any issues or problems with a poll worker?
Talk to the poll manager. If that does not resolve the issue, call Election Protection.
02. I notice some poll watchers are taking photographs inside the polling place. Is that allowed?
No, poll watchers may not take photographs or videos of voters. This is an example of voter intimidation.
03.Who gets to decide who is inside the polling place?
It is the poll manager’s job to enforce Georgia law as to who may be in a polling place during voting.
04. Who can I talk to if someone is trying to get in the way of me completing my ballot?
The voter should speak to the poll manager. If that does not resolve the issue, call Election Protection
05. What are my rights if I need help voting?
Voters are entitled to assistance if they have a disability affecting their ability to read or mark their ballot or if they cannot read English. If you require assistance voting, you may receive help from anyone of your choice except your employer, your employer’s agent, an agent or officer of your union, a candidate whose name appears on the ballot, or the relative of a candidate on the ballot (unless you are related to the candidate or the candidate’s relative).

Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Georgia legal professional. Updated August 2024. Contact Fair Elections Center at
info@fairelection.codpixels.com

If you have questions or are experiencing problems voting, call the Election Protection Hotline and speak with a volunteer to get help.
  • Call in English: 866-OUR-VOTE
  • CALL in Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA
  • Call in Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE
  • CALL in Arabic: 844-YALLA-US

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