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Voter Registration FAQs Elections FAQs Absentee Voting FAQs Provisional FAQs Poll Worker FAQs Qualifying FAQs Campaign Filing FAQs Other FAQs -Voter Registration FAQs Where can I register to vote? The main location for voter registration in Walton County is the Elections Office, located at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111 in Monroe Online at: sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR Department of Driver Services (when renewing your driver's license) Any Library in the county If I Register to Vote, will I be called for Jury Duty? Names for potential jurors do not strictly come from voter registration. The popular belief that the pool of potential juror names comes only from voter registration records is a myth. Voter registration encompasses just one of the many rosters used by the state to create lists provided to each of the 159 counties. In May, 2011, Governor Deal passed the Jury Reform Bill ultimately creating this statewide jury pool. The Department of Driver Services, the Secretary of the State and the Department of Public Health provide some of the lists used to add or remove potential juror names. Thus, fear of jury duty should not keep you from registering to vote. When is the deadline to register to vote before an election? Voter Registration Deadline is the fifth Monday prior to the election (if Monday is a legal holiday, deadline moves to the next day). The same deadline applies to changing your name and/or address prior to an election. Do I need to register by Party? No, Georgia does not require you to register by party. You will choose what party ballot you want when you go to vote in a primary. Does my voter registration expire? Yes, it can if you change your place of residence or if you have not voted in three or more years. If you have not voted in three or more years, it is important to confirm your registration. You can check your registration status online at My Voter Page (MVP) on the Secretary of State's website. If MVP is unable to find your information, you should contact the Walton County Elections office at [PHONE REDACTED]. How can I change my address? ---PAGE BREAK--- General Information Change your address at least 30 days before an election in Georgia. Click here to change your address online. You must register to vote at your current address—your representatives are based on the location of your residence address. P.O Boxes and business addresses are used only for mailing addresses. Once you notify us of a Change of Address, you will receive a Voter Precinct Card which lists your voting location and districts. If you have moved at all, do not assume you are still registered. You must notify us of your new address. Click here to check on your registration. When to Change Your Address As soon as you move At least 30 days before an election Mail-in forms must be postmarked 30 days before the election How to Change Your Address 1. With a Georgia Driver's License or State ID, go to Georgia's Online Voter Registration System; 2. Download the application and mail it in; or 3. Register at any Walton County Library when you apply for a library card; or any time you are at a library you may pick up a blank application and mail it in yourself. Where can I get a new precinct card? You can print a new precinct card here: www.mvp.sos.ga.gov Can I register on Election Day? No. In Georgia you must register by 30 days before the election you want to vote in. Back to top -Elections FAQs What are my voting options? By mail, beginning 45 days prior to most elections. Applications may be completed and submitted up to 180 days prior to the election date. Ballots will be mailed as soon as possible once they are ready. In person beginning 21 days prior to most elections at the Walton County Government Building located at 303 S Hammond Drive in Monroe At your assigned polling place on Election Day from 7am-7pm What are the acceptable types of photo ID for voting? Each elector shall present proper identification to a poll worker. Proper identification shall consist of any one of the following: A Georgia driver's license which was properly issued by the appropriate state agency A valid Georgia voter identification card issued under Code Section 21-2-417.1 or other 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, provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the elector ---PAGE BREAK--- A valid United States passport 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 A valid United States military identification card, provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the elector A valid tribal identification card containing a photograph of the elector Do I need my precinct card to vote? No. The precinct card is just to inform you of your voting location and districts. You must show a photo ID to vote. If I believe I have received the wrong ballot or I have a question about what is on my ballot, what do I do? STOP! And notify a poll worker BEFORE pressing “Cast Ballot”. Once you have pressed “Cast Ballot”, your vote has been recorded and is FINAL. May I receive assistance at the polls? A voter may receive assistance at the polls if they are unable to read the English language or if he or she has a physical disability that renders them unable to see or mark the ballot, operate the voting equipment, or enter the voting booth. In order to do so, everyone, except those that are blind, must take an oath showing the reason they need assistance. The person providing the assistance to the voter must sign on the oath. When there is a federal candidate on the ballot, the voter can select anyone they want to assist them in voting, except for the voter's employer, an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union. When there is no federal candidate on the ballot, the voter can select any other resident of the precinct or a parent, sibling, spouse or child to assist them inside the voting booth. No person may assist more than ten voters in a primary, election, or runoff. **Note: Between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the day of an election, voters who are 75 years of age or older or who are physically disabled may, upon request to a poll officer, vote immediately without waiting in line. Can I take my child to the polls with me? The child of a voter 17 years of age and under is permitted to accompany his/her parent into the voting booth while voting; any child 12 and under may accompany a voter who is not his/her parent into the voting booth while voting. Children ARE NOT allowed to handle voter access cards or to operate voting machines. Can I wear a campaign button into the polling place? No person may campaign; distribute literature of written or printed matter of any kind; wear campaign buttons, signs, pins, stickers, T-shirts, etc.; circulate petitions; or perform similar activities within 150 feet of the building in which a polling place is located. If I don’t vote on a candidate or question, will my other votes still be counted? Yes. You are not required to cast a vote in every race or on every question. If you choose to leave a race or a question blank, the rest of the votes on your ballot will still be counted. ---PAGE BREAK--- Can I vote anywhere in Georgia even if I don’t live here? I can vote a provisional ballot, right? No. Under Georgia law, you must be registered to vote in the county where you are attempting to vote. While you may be permitted to vote a provisional ballot in any polling place that you go to, your ballot will not count unless you are a resident in that county and found to have properly registered to vote. If you are properly registered to vote, but choose to vote at the wrong county polling place for your residence address, your ballot would only be partially counted. District and local races would probably not count. What is the difference between a special election, a primary election, and a general election? A 'special election' means an election that arises from some emergency or special need outside the usual routine. This could include a vacancy in a public office or the holding of a county referendum. A 'primary' means any election held for the purpose of electing party officers or nominating candidates for public offices to be voted upon at a general election. In Georgia, political parties are defined as any political organization that at the preceding Gubernatorial election nominated a candidate for Governor and whose candidate for Governor at such election pulled at least 20 percent of the total votes cast in the state for Governor or in a Presidential election nominated a candidate for President of the United States and whose candidates for presidential electors at such election pulled at least 20 percent of the total votes cast in the nation for that office. At the present time, recognized political parties in Georgia include the Democratic and Republican parties. A 'general election' is held at intervals fixed by law. In Georgia, the general election is held the Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year. Most terms of office are for four years. Exceptions to this include six-year terms for United States Senators and two-year terms for Georgia General Assembly members and United States Representatives. The general election will include the candidates nominated at the political party primaries, political body candidates nominated by petition or state convention, independent candidates through the petition process, and write-in candidates. Why do I have to choose a party? The State of Georgia does not register voters by party and does not permit voting in more than one party’s primary, so voters wishing to participate in the primary election must choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot. What if I want to vote, but don’t want to choose a party? Voters may opt for a Nonpartisan ballot. The Nonpartisan ballot will only contain the nonpartisan races, which are mostly judicial and are mostly unopposed. Does my party choice in the Primary Election have any bearing on my choices in the November General Election? No. You are not restricted by party in any way during the November General Election. ---PAGE BREAK--- If I voted in a particular party’s primary, may I switch to the other party for the runoff? No. When you choose a party during a primary, you may only participate in that party’s runoff. You may not switch parties for the runoff. If I don’t vote in the primary, may I vote in the runoff? Yes. If you don’t vote in the primary, you have not yet selected a party preference and may vote in either party’s runoff. If I vote in the Nonpartisan Election during the initial voting, may I participate in a party runoff? Yes. If you vote Nonpartisan during the initial election, then you have not yet chosen a party. This means that you are eligible to participate in either party’s primary runoff. If I don’t vote in the Primary or Runoff, can I still vote in the November General Election? Yes. In November all the candidates appear on the same ballot and you can vote for whoever you choose. Where do I vote? You can find your polling place and get other information here: www.mvp.sos.ga.gov When can I vote on Election Day? Election Day Polling Places are open from 7am-7pm Back to top -Absentee Voting FAQs How do I obtain an Absentee Ballot? A completed application must first be received before an absentee ballot is issued. Please call the Elections Office at [PHONE REDACTED] to request that an application be mailed or faxed to you, or click here to download an application. Don’t forget to select a party if you are requesting an absentee ballot for a Primary Election. Please complete and sign the application and return it in one of the following ways: Fax the completed and signed application to [PHONE REDACTED] Scan and email the application to [EMAIL REDACTED] Mail the application to the Elections Office at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111, Monroe, GA 30655 ---PAGE BREAK--- Can a relative of a disabled voter make an application for an Absentee Ballot for the disabled voter? An adult relative of a disabled voter residing inside the county may apply for an absentee ballot, but shall not vote for the disabled voter. The disabled box on the application must be checked, and the relative making application must sign the application appropriately. Can I receive assistance voting my absentee ballot? Only a physically disabled or illiterate voter can receive assistance in preparing his or her ballot from one of the following: any elector who is qualified to vote in the same county or municipality as the disabled or illiterate voter; an attendant care provider or a person providing attendant care; or the mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son- in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the disabled or illiterate voter. The person giving assistance to the disabled or illiterate voter in preparing the ballot must sign the oath printed on the same envelope as the oath to be signed by the voter. In addition, no person may assist more than ten voters in any election in which there is no federal candidate on the ballot. If a federal candidate appears on a ballot, a person can assist an unlimited number of voters in that election. Can anyone return a voted Absentee Ballot? No, by law only the voter themselves may return their voted ballot, unless the voter is disabled. For a voter who is disabled, an adult relative or an adult individual residing in the household of the disabled voter may return the ballot to the Elections Office located at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111 in Monroe. Are there deadlines for absentee applications and/or absentee ballots? Applications: The last day for the Elections Office to accept completed absentee applications is 5:00pm on the Friday before the election. The last day ballots are mailed is the Friday before the election. Ballots: All voted ballots must be received by 7:00pm on Election Day. Any ballot received after 7:00pm on Election Day will not be counted. Ballots will not be accepted at polling locations for counting. The last day to vote in office is the Friday before an election. There is no absentee or advance voting on the Monday before the election or on Election Day. The voter did not receive the ballot that was mailed. Can another be mailed? Yes, by law, if the ballot has not been received by the voter in a reasonable amount of time, the voter must complete a form stating that the original ballot was not received. Once the Elections Office has received the form, a second ballot will be mailed if requested. Do I have to sign the absentee ballot? You will be provided with envelopes for your voted absentee ballot. The outer (yellow) envelope has an oath on the back that must be completed and signed. If this oath is not completed and signed, your ballot will be rejected. Do voters have to apply for an absentee ballot for each and every election? ---PAGE BREAK--- You must file a separate application for each election for which you are requesting an absentee ballot. You may file your application no more than 180 days prior to the Date of the Election. If a physically disabled voter or a voter 65 years of age or older makes a written request to receive an absentee ballot for the Presidential Preference Primary, General Primary, Primary Runoff, General Election, or General Runoff, he or she will receive ballots without having to ask again by checking the appropriate box on the application. This will be in effect for the remainder of the regular election cycle and will not apply to Special Elections. Please call [PHONE REDACTED] for more information. Does my Absentee ballot really count? Absolutely! Every valid absentee ballot is counted. Be sure to sign the envelope when you return your absentee ballot. The Elections Office must receive your ballot no later than 7:00 PM on Election Day. If you are not sure if your ballot will arrive in time, drop it off in person. All Absentee ballots are counted on Election Night along with all of the votes cast in person during Early Voting and at the polls. Unofficial Results are released before the staff can leave on Election Night. Military and Overseas Citizens' ballots that are received Wednesday through Friday, and were postmarked by Election Day, are added on Friday. The results become Official after they are certified. Back to top -Provisional FAQs What is a provisional ballot? A provisional ballot is a paper ballot used by a voter whose eligibility to vote is in question and cannot be determined on Election Day. The Elections office has three business days to determine eligibility of a provisional voter. How are provisional ballots counted? Beginning the day following the election, the registrar investigates each and every provisional ballot in an attempt to help prove the voter’s eligibility. If the registrar can find proof that the voter is eligible to vote then the voter’s ballot is counted, if not the voter’s ballot is rejected. How will I know if my provisional ballot was accepted or rejected? The registrar will notify each provisional voter to tell the voter if their ballot was counted or not, and if not, why it was not counted. Do provisional ballots count? If you vote a provisional ballot and your eligibility to vote is confirmed, your provisional ballot is counted. Please note, if you appear to vote in the wrong county, and you choose to vote a provisional ballot rather than go to your correct county, your ballot will not count. Back to top ---PAGE BREAK--- -Poll Worker FAQs Is this a volunteer position and what are the hours of work? It is a paid volunteer position; poll officials are paid for service. The rates are: poll managers - $280 per election, assistant managers - $175 per election, and clerks - $7.25 per hour. All poll officials must report to their assigned precinct by 6:00am on Election Day and remain on duty until the polls have closed and all paperwork is completed. The poll manager and one poll official must accompany ballots and memory cards back to the Walton County Elections office in Monroe after all the poll activities have been completed. All poll officials should anticipate a minimum 14 hour day, which may include a lot of standing or sitting in one position. What type of training is required? All poll officials are required by law to be trained prior to each election. Because this is a requirement by law, you cannot work the polls if you have not completed training. We schedule several training dates and times to accommodate as many poll officials as possible. How will I know the training schedule? You will be mailed a letter with your scheduled date and time. If you can’t make it to your assigned training session, you may call and reschedule. If you can’t attend the training session, you can’t work on Election Day. Training is required. Does the county provide lunch or snacks? The county allots a small amount of money for each worker. The managers use that money to purchase either snacks or lunch. Your manager will let you know if you need to bring any food. Do I really have to work all day? Why can't we do split shifts? Yes, you have to work all day. Poll officials must be sworn in at the beginning of each Election Day and payroll sheets must be signed prior to the poll opening. If I'm working the poll, how do I vote? Can I leave to vote if I'm not working at my precinct? No. Poll officials are required to vote prior to Election Day. You may vote by mail up to 45 days prior to the election or you may vote advance in person up to 21 days before the election. Once you've been sworn in at the polling place, you are not allowed to leave until all Election Day activities have been completed. If I am a smoker, am I allowed smoke breaks? Scheduled breaks are determined by the Poll Manager and not all facilities allow smoking on the premises. Back to top -Qualifying FAQs How do I get started? ---PAGE BREAK--- The Elections office has assembled candidate packets that include information on qualifications, Campaign Finance guidelines and forms, and other filing forms required by state law. You may visit our office to receive your candidate packet. Where do I qualify? County Qualifying is held at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111 in Monroe. When do I qualify? Qualifying dates and times will be posted on our main page by February 1st of each year. Once I’ve declared my candidacy, can I change my mind? Yes. Candidates may file a letter of withdrawal with the Elections office. What are the qualifications to run for office? You can find the qualifications to fun for office here. When can I begin accepting campaign contributions? You cannot accept campaign contributions until you have filed a DOI (Declaration of Intention to accept Campaign Contributions) with the Elections Office, located at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111 in Monroe. How can I get a list of registered voters? You can order a list of registered voters from the Secretary of State at: sos.ga.gov Do I need to have a campaign committee? A Campaign Committee is not required. Back to top -Campaign Filing FAQs How do I learn more about the requirements of Campaign Finance? Visit http://ethics.ga.gov/ to learn more about Campaign Finance. I was a candidate in an election, and I lost. Do I need to file any further reports? Losing an election does not end your filing responsibilities with the State Ethics Commission. If your situation meets all of the following criteria, you may file a final report to terminate future filing requirements: You do not currently hold an office You lost the election You have no remaining funds in your campaign account The final report will cover the period beginning where your last report ended and ending on the day the final report is filed. If you do not file a final report after the election, you will be required to file reports until you file a final report. ---PAGE BREAK--- After I have filed my DOI (Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions) do I need to file my PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement) within 15 days? No. By filing a DOI you have only achieved candidate status for the purposes of reporting campaign contributions and expenditures on the CCDR (Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports). In an election year, your PFDS is required to be filed within 15 days of qualifying. What are the maximum contribution limits? Maximum contribution limits can be found here: http://ethics.ga.gov/contribution-limits How may campaign contributions be expended? Campaign contributions may only be used to defray ordinary and necessary expenses. Ordinary and necessary is defined at O.C.G.A. § 21-5-3(18) What is and In-kind contribution? An In-Kind contribution is any item of value other than money received by a candidate or any committee. In-kind contributions are treated the same as if the candidate had received cash from the contributor and are subject to the maximum contribution limits. Additionally, in-kind contributions must be aggregated with other contributions, in-kind or cash, by the same contributor. See Rule 189- 06-.07 Can campaign contributions be used to pay late fees? Late filing fees for can be paid out of campaign funds. However, late filing fees for PFDS cannot be paid with campaign funds. If using campaign funds to pay for a CCDR late fee, then that late fee payment must be recorded as an expenditure on the applicable CCDR. When is a Final Report & Termination Statement due for a local filer who submitted an affidavit of exemption? An unsuccessful candidate can file a Final Report & Termination Statement within 10 days after the general, as long as they are not in office, has no campaign debt, and a zero net balance. Is a Two Business Day Report (TBD) due if I submitted an affidavit not exceed $2500.00 in contributions and expenditures? No. A TBD is only due if you exceed $2,500. Is there a grace period for PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement)? There is no grace period to file a PFDS. What is the Affidavit of Exemption? The Affidavit of Exemption is a written, sworn statement completed by a candidate or public officer if they do not plan to accept more than $2,500 in contributions or expend more than $2,500 in expenditures during an election cycle. Filing the Affidavit exempts the candidate or public officer from Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report (CCDR) filing requirements. Where is the Affidavit of Exemption filed? ---PAGE BREAK--- An Affidavit of Exemption is filed with the candidate’s or public officer’s local filing officer. Generally, the local filing officer for municipal candidates and public officers is the city clerk of the municipality in which the candidate is seeking office or in which the public officer holds office and the local filing officer for county candidates and public officers is the elections superintendent for the county in which the candidate is seeking office or in which the public officer holds office. Who may file the Affidavit of Exemption? Candidates for county or municipal offices or public officers currently holding a county or municipal office who do not intend to accept more than$2,500 in contributions or expend more than $2,500 in expenditures during an election cycle may file the Affidavit of Exemption. When can the Affidavit of Exemption be filed? The Affidavit of Exemption may be filed at any time during an election cycle. However, best practice is for a candidate or public officer to file an Affidavit at the beginning of each election cycle, immediately after qualifying for office, or immediately after filing a Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions (DOI). If a candidate files an Affidavit after become due, the candidate is responsible for filing all due prior to filing the Affidavit. When does the affidavit of Exemption expire? The Affidavit of Exemption is good for one election cycle. After an election cycle concludes, a public officer will need to file a new Affidavit to be exempt from CCDR filing requirements in the new election cycle. What if a candidate or public officer who has filed the Affidavit of Exemption expends more than $2,500 or accepts more than $2,500 in contributions during the election cycle? If a candidate or public officer exceeds the $2,500 limit but does not exceed $5,000 in contributions and expenditures, then they must file a June 30th CCDR and December 31st CCDR in the election year. If the candidate or public officer exceeds $5,000 in contributions and expenditures, then they must file all due in an election year as prescribed by O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34(c) What if a candidate or public official does not file an Affidavit of Exemption? If a candidate or public officer does not file an Affidavit of Exemption, then they must file all in accordance with the filing schedule found at O.C.G.A. § 21-5-34(c). What is a PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement)? A statement filed by certain public officers and all candidates in which they disclose fiduciary positions, business interests, real estate interests, and investment interests that they or their spouse held in the previous calendar year. Who files the PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement)?? Constitutional Officers Elected state officials Executive heads of every state department or agency Members of the General Assembly Elected county officials ---PAGE BREAK--- Elected members of a local board of education Where is the PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement) filed? State-wide and state level officials, including district attorneys and superior court judges, file with the commission. Local officials file with their city clerk or elections superintendent. When is the PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement) filed? Election Year: file within 15 days of qualifying. Nonelection Year: file no later than July 1st of that year. I am an official appointed to an office that was VACANT. Do I need to file the PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement)? An individual who is appointed to a vacant elected public office files his or her first PFDS the year after they take office. Ex: John Doe is appointed to a vacant superior court office and is sworn into office on August 1, 2017. John Doe files his first PFDS in 2018. When does an incumbent file a PFDS (Personal Financial Disclosure Statement) in an election year? In an election year, an incumbent seeking re-election must file a PFDS within 15 days of qualifying. However if the incumbent holds a statewide office, then he/she must file a PFDS within 7 days of qualifying in an election year. What should a filer do if he/she is listed as a delinquent filer and believes that he/she has filed the reports? Review your records. Identify what you should have filed and what you did file. If you feel the late fee is incorrect contact the Commission by calling [PHONE REDACTED] or emailing [EMAIL REDACTED] Is a paid late fee considered an amount that needs to be counted in the $2500 contribution amount? Only if it has been paid with campaign funds. Back to top -Other FAQs Why do I keep getting phone calls, emails, and political mail, especially from party candidates? If Georgia doesn’t require party registration how are they getting my political preferences and my contact information? By law, personal contact information, such as phone numbers and email addresses are not provided to any candidate, elected official, or marketing professional; however voter history is public information. If you have received campaign mail or solicitations, it was received from some other source. If you wish to have your name removed from their lists, please contact each source respectively. ---PAGE BREAK--- Can I get a Free Georgia Voter Identification Card? If you are a registered voter and do not have proper ID to vote, you can receive a free Georgia Voter Identification Card. In order to receive your free Georgia Voter Identification Card, you will need to present a document confirming your identity to your County Elections Office which includes the following: Your full legal name and date of birth; And/or your full legal name and residential address. You can use the same document to confirm your identity AND residential address. **THE GEORGIA VOTER IDENTIFICATION CARD IS USED FOR VOTING PURPOSES ONLY** When Are Board of Elections Meetings held? Board meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 12:15 p.m. in the Elections Office which is located at 303 S Hammond Drive, Suite 111 in Monroe. These meetings are open to the public. How do I request a Recount? Anyone considering a recount may request and receive a copy of the law pertaining to recounts. Due to the complexity of the process, anyone seeking a recount should consult private legal counsel. Back to top