Hello Georgia!

If you want to be able to vote in November, you’re going to have to register first. You can check using the link below to see if you’re registered already.

If you’re not, or if you’ve moved or changed your name since the last time you voted, you can use that same link to fill out a registration application. For those of you who have a valid Georgia driver’s license, you’ll be able to enter that license number and submit the form online. If you don’t have a Georgia license, they’ll ask you to print it out, sign it and mail it in.

Like, with a stamp. I know it’s annoying, but it’s important, so do it anyway. The deadline to register is October 5th if you want to vote in the general election on November 3rd.

So once you’re registered, you have a couple different options for how you can vote. Anyone in Georgia can vote by mail, otherwise known as voting absentee, for any reason. All you have to do is download the form in the link below, fill it out and mail it to your County Board of Registrar’s office—there’s a link to all their addresses in the description.

Technically, Georgia accepts absentee ballot requests up until October 30th, but the sooner you apply to vote absentee, the sooner you get your ballot, and the longer that you will have to look it over and make your decisions, and mail it back before November 3rd. You can also vote early in person from October 12th through 30th. The hours and locations vary by county, but all counties are required to allow you to vote early on at least one Saturday if voting on the weekend is easier for you.

There’s a link in the description where you can just select your county, and it will tell you when and where you can go vote early. If you really want all the excitement of voting in person on November 3rd, though, you can find out where to go to vote using the same link you used to register. Polls are open from 7am to 7pm statewide.

You’ll need to bring an ID with you. They’ll accept a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID or tribal ID. If you don’t have any of those forms of identification, you can get a free voter ID card at your County Registrar’s office or the DMV.

The hours that those offices are open can vary, and you’ll also need a birth certificate and a proof of address to get one, so if you need a free voter ID, start working on that now. If you want to see everything that you’ll be able to vote for, there’s a link below to where you can find your sample ballot- it’s the same link that you’ll use to register and check your voting location. This gives you a chance to research the candidates for your local elections ahead of time.

You don’t have to vote for every item on the ballot if you don’t want to, but if you do want to have an impact on those important local elections, it’s really helpful to know what’s going to be on there before you walk into the voting booth. If you want, you can print one out and bring it to the polls with you so you can remember how you want to vote. One last thing: if you’re going to vote—open up your notes app or grab a piece of paper and make a plan.

Write down when and how you’re going to register, what time you’re gonna vote, how you’re gonna get there, what ID you’re going to use, even who you’re going to bring to the polls with you. Having a plan is a great way to make sure that nothing unexpected stops you from voting on November 3rd. All the links you need to check your registration and polling location will be in the description.

Thanks for voting. How To Vote in Every State is produced by Complexly in partnership with The MediaWise Voter Project, which is led by The Poynter Institute and supported by Facebook.