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Voting in your state

Voting in Georgia, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Georgia through Friday, October 30.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 5, 2026, the fifth Monday before Election Day.2
  2. Tue, Oct 13 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Fri, Oct 23 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
    Absentee applications must be received by Friday October 23, 2026, 11 days before Election Day.2
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on Election Day.2
  5. Mon, Nov 9 · 13 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    Counties canvass the returns by 5 p.m. on the Monday following the election, November 9.3
  6. Fri, Nov 20 · 24 days
    State canvass; State certification
    The statewide canvass must be complete by 5 p.m. on the 17th day after the election, November 20.3
  7. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest must be filed within five days after the official consolidation of the returns for that office.4

Questions people ask about voting in Georgia

Q. When does early voting end in Georgia?

Early voting runs from Tuesday October 13 through Friday October 30, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Georgia?

Register by Monday October 5, 2026, the fifth Monday before Election Day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Georgia?

Absentee applications must be received by Friday October 23, 2026, 11 days before Election Day.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Georgia?

Absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on Election Day.

Q. Who certifies the election in Georgia, and by when?

The county election superintendent, a board of elections or board of registrars, receives the precinct tallies, reviews provisional ballots, canvasses the results and sends them to the Secretary of State. Counties must certify their results by 5 p.m. on the Monday after the election, November 9, 2026. The Secretary of State receives and canvasses the county results and certifies them, and the Governor certifies the presidential result. The Secretary of State must certify the results by 5 p.m. on the 17th day after the election, November 20, 2026.

Q. What happens after the count in Georgia, and when is there a recount?

A candidate may request a state funded recount when the margin is not more than one half of one percent of the votes cast for the office, within two business days after certification.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Georgia?

A contest must be filed within five days after the official consolidation of the returns for that office.

Explore this issue

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Sources

  1. US Vote Foundation, Georgia Election Dates and Deadlines, https://www.usvotefoundation.org/georgia-election-dates-and-deadlines
  2. Vote.org, Georgia Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/georgia/
  3. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  4. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  5. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  6. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/
  7. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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