“It’s just a safety net.” That is how Fannin County Election Supervisor Mary Ann Conner describes Georgia’s mailing of absentee ballot applications for the May 19 election to all the state’s registered voters.
Those applications were mailed Monday, March 30, and by Friday, April 3, the Fannin County elections office had already received 50 ballot requests.
“We need to move forward with it (the election) if at all possible,” Conner said. People will vote, “one way or another.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ordered the absentee applications be mailed in order to protect the health of Georgia voters during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue with the May election cycle.
Absentee voting allows voters to stay away from the polls.
Conner echoed Raffensperger’s approach, saying the effort is just for the voters’ protection.
She also said that things could change between now and when early voting is slated to begin April 27 as well as before election day May 19.
The absentee application process makes allowances for changes.
Conner said that just because a voter applies for an absentee ballot does not mean that voter has to vote that way.
When the ballot arrives, the voter can discard the ballot and still show up to early vote or vote on election day.
The Secretary of State’s office plans to start mailing absentee ballots this week. Those ballots only have to be returned in time to reach the elections office by 7 p.m. May 19.
The election record keeping process will ensure the voter is only allowed to vote once.
If safeguards are still in place associated with the COVID-19 situation when early voting begins, and if they continue through election day, those safeguards will be followed.