Secretary of State Kemp Announces Implementation of MOVE Act Requirements to Increase Voting Opportunities for Georgia’s Military and Overseas Voters

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that the State of Georgia is prepared to meet all requirements of the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, or MOVE Act, to increase voting opportunities for our approximately 200,000 military and overseas citizens.

For the first time in this year’s November General Election, Georgia’s military and overseas voters will be able to access an absentee ballot in electronic format 45 days prior to Election Day. To access their ballot, these voters will log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. This will save weeks of time previously lost to delivery of blank ballots by mail. Additionally, military and overseas voters may receive access to absentee ballots for an entire year’s election cycle, removing the need to submit multiple ballot requests.

In June, Governor Perdue signed into law House Bill 1073, which strengthened Georgia’s compliance with the MOVE Act.

Secretary Kemp stated, “One ballot cast by a member of our military that is not counted due to slow mail service or a missed deadline is one too many. This e-government solution increases Georgia’s commitment to our men and women in uniform, who fight to protect our Constitution and our freedoms, by providing them additional opportunities to vote and fully participate in our elections.”

The system which will deliver these blank ballots was developed in-house within the Secretary of State’s Office at no additional cost to Georgia’s taxpayers. “We were able to leverage our existing technology and resources to better serve Georgia’s overseas and military voters without having to incur any additional costs or expense,” said Secretary Kemp.

In conjunction with launching the MOVE Act compliant electronic ballot delivery system, Secretary Kemp announced an updated Elections Division webpage. The new site will make it easier to find and locate critical information for all voters and anyone interested in Georgia elections.

Secretary Kemp said, “As Georgia’s Chief Elections official, it is my responsibility to provide as much information as possible to voters, and to make that information easier to find. We want Georgia’s voters to be able to know as much as they possibly can about Georgia’s elections before they go to the ballot box.”

Brian Kemp was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2010. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.

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