All three methods of voting will be available for the Dec. 6 run-off election between incumbent Democratic U.S.
Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
However, the windows for using the early or absentee methods will be quite short.
The Warnock-Walker contest is the only race on the ballot. Georgia law requires a majority – 50 percent plus one – for election. A Libertarian candidate drew 2 percent of the Nov. 8 votes, so both Warnock and Walker narrowly missed reaching the 50-percent threshold.
In the meantime, Democratic wins in Arizona and Nevada Senate races mean the Georgia run-off will no longer be the deciding factor in which party will control the U.S. Senate.
Absentee: Applications for an absentee ballot are already being accepted, according to Putnam’s acting elections supervisor, Kimberly Rudolph. The deadline for returning the application to the Board of Elections office in the county administration building is 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, with application forms available in the board office or online at putnamber.com.
Completed absentee ballots must be received – either hand-delivered or by mail – in the election’s office by 7 p.m. on election day, Dec. 6., while military or overseas citizens have an extra three days for arrival – but still must be postmarked Dec. 6 or earlier.
Early/advance voting:
Voters from any of the county’s five voting precincts may cast ballots at the board offices from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.
Note: Online stories indicate that lawyers associated with the state Democratic party may seek a court ruling to allow expansion of the early voting period to include Saturday, Nov.
25, and Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 21-22; however, as of this writing, no such decision, or even court filing, has been made.
Election day, Tuesday, Dec. 6: All five of Putnam’s voting precincts will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Board of Elections offices will be open only for voters from District 1 (northern and western parts of the county) and for the drop-off of any absentee ballots.