The absentee voting effort will allow Georgians to decide on their choices for president and other elected offices from home, without having to visit in-person voting locations where the coronavirus could more easily spread. Early voting and election day precincts will remain open.
A large number of people voting by mail would be a significant change in the way elections are run in Georgia. While the state has allowed any voter to cast their ballot by mail since 2005, just 7% of voters did so in the 2018 election for governor.
The state’s vote-by-mail initiative follows an agreement by Raffensperger, a Republican, and the Democratic Party of Georgia to delay the previously scheduled March 24 presidential primary because of the coronavirus. The presidential primary will now be held May 19, along with races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Georgia General Assembly and local offices.