State of Georgia Successfully Increasing Voting Opportunities for Military and Overseas Voters

Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that county elections offices have received more than 1,900 applications for absentee ballots in electronic format from the State’s military and overseas voters. For the first time in this year’s November General Election, Georgia’s military and overseas voters were be able to access their absentee ballot electronically 45 days prior to Election Day.

To access their ballot, these voters log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. This saves weeks of time previously lost to delivery of blank ballots by mail. The system which delivers these blank ballots was developed in-house within the Secretary of State’s Office at no additional cost to Georgia’s taxpayers.

Secretary Kemp said, “Though some states failed to meet the federally-required obligation to ensure electronic ballot access for their military and overseas voters, I am proud to say that Georgia kept its promise to the men and women who fight to protect our Constitution and our freedoms, by providing them additional opportunities to vote and fully participate in our elections.”

Requests for absentee ballots in electronic format have come from Georgians stationed or living in approximately 45 countries in North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

With this new advance in ballot delivery, Georgia is in full compliance with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (also known as the MOVE Act) and Georgia House Bill 1073, signed into law this year by Governor Perdue.

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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