You do have a vested interest in the local issues of your University community. Issues such as off campus housing, sales taxes, personal safety, weekend recreational activities, and the environment, and zoning restrictions all affect your quality of life.  Voting in Carrollton is very convenient—you will vote in the lower Z6—and relieves you of the need to apply for and return an absentee ballot.

Registering and voting on campus can give you the opportunity to become involved with, and informed about, the local issues in Carrollton.  Becoming involved in the issues, and learning about local politics, are some of the ways in which you can begin to build a relationship with local residents in the city.  If you are a student at the State University of West Georgia, living either on or off campus, you spend at least nine (9) months out of twelve here in Carrollton, which makes you more than qualified to consider the University community your primary residence, a place you should vote in.

You have the right to register on campus, which will allow you to vote in the lower Z6 and make you a citizen of the city while you are living here, but you can not be registered to vote in both locations.

It is your choice.  If you don’t consider your University, a place where you spend the majority of your year (at least while you are a student), your primary residence, if you have a special interest in local issues at home, or if you intend to return home on the day of  election, then my all means you have good reason for voting there. 

It is also possible that you are still subject to taxes and student loans/scholarship regulations at your prior address.  If you do register at your home address, make sure you get your absentee ballot early!

The Higher Education Act of 1998 mandates that all colleges and universities provide their students with voter registration forms.  In fact, the school is REQUIRED to order these materials from the relevant state agency at least 120 days prior to the voter registration deadline.

Each fall, Georgians vote on a variety of different elected positions:

2004	President of the United States, 1 U.S. Senate seat (seat currently held by Zell Miller), 13 U.S. Representative seats, 1 Public Service Commission seat, Judicial offices, State Senators (all seats), State Representatives (all seats), All local two-year officials

Yes, if you are the following:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of your county in which you desire to vote
• At least 17 ½ years of age to register, but 18 years old to vote
• Able to attest to the oath on the registration form
• Able to attest that you are not a convicted felon
• Able to attest that you have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge.

You may register to vote in Georgia at any time, but you must be registered by the close of registration prior to an election if you wish to vote on Election Day, i.e., the application must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline.

Elections	Voter Registration Deadline	Election Date
General – Nonpartisan Election/Special Election	October 4, 2004	November 2, 2004
General – Nonpartisan Runoff	October 4, 2004	November 23, 2004

The Secretary of State Office has made it very easy for you to register to vote by just holding the “Ctrl” key and the “Enter” while placing your cursor on the hyper link register today and then click on the Voter Registration Form.

In addition, the State University of West Georgia will have four major registration drives on campus in the fall 2004: (tentatively scheduled)

August 30	the Courtyard of the UCC
September 13	the Courtyard of the UCC
September 27	the Courtyard of the UCC
October 4	the Courtyard of the UCC

To determine if you are registered, call the Secretary of State’s Office at 404/656-2871.  Ask for the Voter Registration Department.  Inform the person in the department that you are in of finding out whether or not you are registered and where.  They will be able to pull up the requested information by your name and/or social security number.

Fill out a new voter registration card with your current address. It is better to be safe than sorry. Put the address where you think you were last registered in the previous address box. 

Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on each Election Day. However, any voter who is waiting in line to vote at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. The best time to go to the polls to avoid having to wait in long lines appears to be anytime between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and avoiding the mid-day lunch hour, as peak voting hours historically are from 7:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 pm, and during the mid-day lunch hour.

Each voter must vote at the polling place designated for the precinct in which the voter lives - the location of your polling place is located on your precinct card. If you have misplaced your card or do not know where your precinct is located, please use our poll locator.

Your vote is your voice in the governance of your city, county, state and country. As a citizen, you declare your rights and privileges with your vote. Contrary to popular belief, one vote - your vote - does makes a difference.

When you arrive at your polling place, you will complete a voter's certificate which asks for your name and residence address. You will then present the certificate and proper identification to the poll officials who will verify that you are a registered voter in that precinct by checking the voters list for that precinct. Voters are required to present identification at their polling place prior to casting their ballot. Proper identification shall consist of any one of the following:

(1) a valid Georgia driver's license;

(2) a valid identification card issued by a branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the United States authorized by law to issue personal identification;

(3) a valid United States passport;

(4) a valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the elector and issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, this state, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state;

(5) a valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the elector and issued by any employer of the elector in the ordinary course of such employer's business;

(6) a valid student identification card containing a photograph of the elector from any public or private college, university, or postgraduate technical or professional school located within the state of Georgia;

(7) a valid Georgia license to carry a pistol or revolver;

(8) a valid pilot's license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration or other authorized agency of the United States;

(9) a valid United States military identification card;

(10) a certified copy of the elector's birth certificate;

(11) a valid social security card;

(12) certified naturalization documentation;

(13) or a certified copy of court records showing adoption, name, or sex change;

(14) A copy of a utility bill;

(15) A bank statement (will be kept confidential);

(16) A government check or payment with name and address; or

(17) A government document that shows the name and address of the elector.

Note: The precinct card you receive to confirm your voter registration and voting location is NOT a form of identification and is not sufficient identification to vote.

• You will be absent from your precinct from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
• You are 75 years of age or older.
• You have a physical disability which prevents you from voting in person or you are a constant caregiver of a person with a disability.
• You are an election official.
• You are observing a religious holiday which prevents you from voting in person.
• You are required to remain on duty in your precinct for the protection of life, health, or safety of the public.
• An elector may cast an absentee ballot in person at the registrar's office during the period of Monday through Friday of the week immediately preceding the date of the primary, election, or run-off primary or election without having to provide a reason.

You may request an absentee ballot as early as 180 days before an election. Absentee ballots must be signed and received by the county board of registrars' office on or before Election Day - no absentee ballots are issued on Election Day. You may download an absentee ballot application and mail it or fax it to your county board of registrars' office. The application must be in writing and must contain the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, the reason for voting by absentee ballot, sufficient information to identify you as a voter, and the election in which you wish to vote. If you are physically disabled or living temporarily outside your county of residence, a close relative may apply for an absentee ballot for you.

Applications for absentee ballots by uniformed or overseas voters (pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) can be accepted more than 180 days prior to a primary or election in which a federal candidate appears on the ballot as well as for any runoffs resulting there from including presidential preference primaries for two general elections.

A physically disabled or illiterate voter may receive assistance from another voter in the same county or municipality or from the same category of relatives who can make an application for or deliver an absentee ballot. If the voter is outside of the county or municipality, then a notary public can provide such assistance. Any person who assists another person to vote absentee must complete an oath prescribed by law demonstrating the statutory disability and that the ballot was completed as the voter desired. No person may assist more than ten voters in a primary, election, or runoff. A candidate on the ballot, or a relative of a candidate on the ballot, may not offer assistance during the election to any voter who is not related to the candidate.

An application for an absentee ballot cannot be physically attached to a publication that advocates for or against a particular candidate, issue, etc., and distributed by any person, entity, or organization.