Georgia absentee-ballot requests for 2026 general election open Aug. 17
Georgia voters may begin requesting absentee ballots on Aug. 17 for the state’s Nov. 3, 2026, general election, opening the next statewide election-administration phase following the May primary and June runoffs.
The November ballot will include races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state, along with other statewide offices. All 14 of Georgia’s congressional districts and every seat in the Georgia General Assembly are also up for election.
Aug. 17 is the first day identified by the state for voters to request an absentee ballot for the general election. The date concerns ballot requests; it should not be read to mean ballots are automatically sent to voters.
Election calendar dates
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Before Election Day, the state lists several deadlines and availability dates that apply to the election process.
Sept. 15 is the first day absentee ballots may be mailed or transmitted to voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, known as UOCAVA. That federal law covers certain military and overseas voters.
Sample ballots are scheduled to become available Sept. 19. Georgia’s voter-registration deadline for the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 5.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s 2026 calendar also sets statutory election-calendar and certification-related deadlines. The state’s general-election page provides the statewide dates and identifies the offices scheduled for election.
What will be on the ballot
In addition to governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state, the statewide offices listed for the election include commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, commissioner of labor, state school superintendent and a Public Service Commission seat.
Voters in each of Georgia’s 14 U.S. House districts will elect a representative. Every Georgia General Assembly seat is also up for election in 2026.
The state’s listing identifies statewide, congressional and legislative contests, but it does not establish a complete list of local races for every individual voter. Ballots may differ by jurisdiction.
Voting system and recount rules
The election will be conducted while Georgia continues to use ballots with QR codes for vote counting in the 2026 midterms. Lawmakers delayed a planned voting-system change that would have altered that arrangement, according to Associated Press reporting published June 23.
The revised bill reported by the Associated Press limits hand recounts to eight statewide offices. That legislative action is separate from the election calendar, which lays out dates for the state’s 2026 contests and related certification process.
What comes next
For voters planning to use an absentee ballot, Aug. 17 is the first date to make a request for the general election. UOCAVA voters may be mailed or transmitted ballots beginning Sept. 15, and sample ballots are due to be available four days later, on Sept. 19.
The next registration deadline is Oct. 5, followed by the Nov. 3 general election. The official state materials establish those dates and the offices on the ballot, but do not provide polling, fundraising information or a basis to characterize the races as competitive.
Sources
- Georgia General Election 2026, State of Georgia
- 2026 Election Calendar and Highlights, Georgia Secretary of State
- Georgia’s QR codes for counting votes will remain for midterms after lawmakers vote to delay a fix, Associated Press