Voting rights advocates are urging Black Georgians to take appropriate steps this year to ensure they’re not impacted by mass voter registration cancellations and voter eligibility challenges.
Nearly half a million people are due to have their Georgia voter registrations canceled no later than July, meaning they won’t be able to cast ballots in key elections this fall and next year unless they take action.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office confirmed in March that it is canceling 455,000 inactive voter registrations in conjunction with its voter list maintenance policy. Data gathered by a nonprofit called the Election Registration Information Center was used to identify 170,000 inactive voter registrations, according to Raffensperger’s office.
Advocates say young Black voters, who tend to change addresses more often than their elders, and unhoused people in metro Atlanta, who are overwhelmingly Black, are among the groups most likely to be affected by voter registration cancellation or voter eligibility challenges.
“They definitely should be paying attention to make sure that they are following and tracking everything,” Fulton County Voter Education and Outreach Manager LaShandra Little told Capital B Atlanta.
The deadline to register to vote ahead of this year’s November election is Oct. 6. The next presidential election won’t happen until 2028, but local elections taking place this year will have a significant impact on the lives of Black voters.
A pivotal Public Service Commission primary election is scheduled for June 17, ahead of a general election in November in a set of races likely to impact Georgians’ utility bills. Eight Atlanta City Council seats will be up for grabs in November. Mayoral elections for several cities in Fulton County, including Atlanta and South Fulton, are also happening this fall.
This is what you can do to safeguard your right to vote.
How to check your status online
Georgians are encouraged to routinely check their voter registration status online by visiting the state’s My Voter Page. Fulton County residents can also check their status over the phone by calling (404) 612-7020.
“We can verify what we have in our system,” Little said.
Check your mail
The secretary of state’s office sends notices via U.S. mail to the listed addresses of individuals who have had their voter registrations canceled for moving or being inactive in two consecutive general elections.
County election officials also send mail to notify individuals who’ve had their voter eligibility challenged.
What if my voter eligibility has been challenged?
Since July, at least 63,000 Georgians have experienced challenges to their voter eligibility in conjunction with laws allowing county residents and activist groups concerned about voter fraud to contest the eligibility of residents whose home addresses may have changed since they registered to vote.
Eligible voters include U.S. citizens who are at least 17½ years old and are legal residents of a county in Georgia. People who’ve been declared mentally incompetent by a judge, individuals actively serving felony sentences, and folks who’ve been convicted for crimes involving moral turpitude are not eligible voters.
Little said those who wish to dispute an eligibility challenge can mail in relevant information and documentation proving they’re legally allowed to vote, or attend the assigned county voter eligibility challenge hearing meeting.
“It’s going to say in there that your eligibility has been challenged, and then it’s going to give you the specifics of a meeting where you can come and sort of verify yourself,” she said.
How do I re-register to vote?
If someone’s voter registration gets canceled, they can re-register to vote online or in-person as long as they’re legally eligible to vote and have a state ID card or a Georgia driver’s license.
Those who don’t have an ID can download a voter registration application or visit a county elections office to get a paper one and register in person.
