July 15, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
In a typical August election in a presidential year, not many people vote by mail-in ballot.
In August 2016, a total of 2,525 voted in DeKalb County including 1,402 on election day, 50 mailed absentee ballots, and 1,073 early voters.
The DeKalb County Election Commission has seen an increase in requests for absentee ballots this year especially for an August election.
As of today (Wednesday, July 15) 174 ballots are in the mail to those who have requested and are eligible to vote absentee in August and that number is expected to grow due to COVID-19 concerns. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for this election is July 30.
“We were warned by our state office that absentee voting would increase and it has done that. Absentee ballots can be applied for until July 30 but based on mail delivery it is always best for people to apply as early as possible. Voted absentee ballots must be returned by mail, not hand delivered to the election commission, and received by August 6 for them to be counted on election day,” said Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley.
According to the state election laws, registered voters must cast ballots in person on election day or during the early voting period unless they meet the requirements for absentee voting which include the following:
*You will be outside the county where you are registering during the early voting period and all day on election day.
*You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
*You are on the permanent absentee list
*You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
*You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty
*You are 60 years of age or older.
*You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place
*You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote; and/or you have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 situation.
*You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill or disabled, and/or you have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 situation
*You are a candidate for office in the election
*You serve as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission
*You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on election day
*You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license or Transportation Worker Identification Credential card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and election day and have no specific out of county or out of state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
*You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.
A registered voter may request a by-mail ballot either in person at the DeKalb County Election Commission Office or by mail, fax and email. If requested by mail, fax, or email, the request must include the voter’s signature. In addition, the request must include the following eight items:
*The name of the registered voter
*The address of the voter’s residence
*The voter’s date of birth
*The voter’s Social Security number
*The address to mail the ballot outside the county (this applies only when the reason for voting by mail involves that the voter will be outside of the county during early voting and on election day)
*The election the voter wishes to participate in. If the election involves a Primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
*The reason the voter wishes to vote absentee
*The voter’s signature. (If the voter is unable to sign his/her name, contact the election commission office for details at 615-597-4146.
A request that contains this information will be treated and processed as an application for ballot, and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.