Black Radio United For The Vote: Georgia Voter Information 2026

Black Radio United For The Vote is a partnership between KISS 104.1, V103, 1380 News & Talk WAOK, Majic 107.5/97.5, Hot 107.9, Praise 102.5, Classix 102.9, Streetz 94.5, Jazz 91.9 WCLK, Smooth Jazz 101.1, and 104.5 FM

Black Radio United For The Vote logo
Logos of the partner Atlanta radio stations: Majic, Praise 102.5, WAOK, KISS 104.1, Hot 107.9, V-103, Smooth Jazz, Classix, Streetz 94.5, Jazz 91.9 WCLK and 104.5 FM

Atlanta’s Black Radio stations have teamed up to make sure your voice is heard!

2026 KEY DATES

  • OCTOBER 5: Last day to register to vote or update your address for the November 3 General Election
  • OCTOBER 13: Early voting starts statewide
  • OCTOBER 17 and OCTOBER 24: Saturday early voting days
  • OCTOBER 23: Last day to request an absentee ballot
  • OCTOBER 30: Last day of early voting
  • NOVEMBER 2: Last day to register for a December runoff in a U.S. House or Senate race
  • NOVEMBER 3: General Election Day, polls open 7 am to 7 pm
  • NOVEMBER 23: Early voting for December runoffs starts by this date (some counties start sooner)
  • DECEMBER 1: Runoff Election Day for any race where no candidate gets more than 50%

Early voting hours and Sunday voting differ from county to county. Check your county on the My Voter Page.

ON YOUR 2026 BALLOT

The primaries and runoffs are over. Here is how the two biggest races on the November ballot were decided.

  • Governor: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination outright on May 19. Businessman Rick Jackson won the Republican nomination in the June 16 runoff, beating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones with about 52.6% of the vote.
  • U.S. Senate: Sen. Jon Ossoff is running for a second term as the Democratic nominee. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins won the Republican runoff on June 16 over former football coach Derek Dooley.
  • Also on the ballot: lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and other statewide offices, all 56 seats in the Georgia Senate, all 180 seats in the Georgia House, U.S. House seats and local races.

Your exact ballot depends on where you live. See your sample ballot before you go.

WHAT IS NEW THIS YEAR

Nothing changes at the polls in November. You will still make your choices on a touchscreen machine that prints a paper ballot, and that ballot still carries a QR code that the scanner reads.

A 2024 law would have ended QR code counting on July 1, 2026. In a June special session, lawmakers moved that deadline to January 1, 2028. The same law allows hand recounts in eight statewide races, including governor, when the margin is within half a percentage point. U.S. Senate and House races are not part of those hand counts.

KNOW YOUR STATUS

  • Click here to check your voting status
    • If you haven’t voted in a while, Georgia law allows election officials to move your registration to an inactive status.  That means they’ll purge you from the voter rolls. If you have been taken off the rolls, all you need to do is re-register.  Check your registration status here: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

EARLY VOTING

  • You can vote at any early-voting location in your county. So, find one that is convenient and has the shortest line. Click here for a list of sites in your county and their hours.
  • Early voting locations must be open on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, plus two Saturdays. Counties have the option of extending early voting hours to a maximum of 7 am to 7 pm, and some add Sunday voting.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

The last day to request an absentee ballot for November 3 is October 23. Absentee ballots are an option for registered voters who prefer not to vote in person. You do not need an excuse to request an absentee ballot. You must request an absentee ballot in order to receive one in the mail. Your County Registrar’s Office must receive your ballot before the polls close on Election Day to be counted.

How to vote by Absentee Ballot:

  1. Register to vote and have a form of voter ID
  2. Submit an absentee ballot application online, by email, by fax, or in person
  3. After your county elections office reviews your application, you will receive your ballot by mail
  4. Fill out and sign your absentee ballot according to the instructions provided. Failure to complete your ballot correctly or not enter the required info on the outer oath envelope could invalidate your ballot
  5. There are 3 ways to submit your absentee ballot:
    • Mail your completed ballot.
    • Hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your county registrar. If you’re registered as a disabled voter, someone in your household can hand-deliver your absentee ballot for you. Contact your county registrar for available drop-off locations.
    • Bring your ballot to your county’s drop box. Drop boxes are inside early voting sites and are open during early voting hours.
  6. Verify that your ballot was accepted by visiting the Georgia My Voter Page. Log in and look for the section labeled “Absentee Ballot Request Information”

NOTES:

  • If you are voting in a primary election, you will need to request either a Democrat, Republican, or Non-Partisan ballot. You do not need to request a specific type of ballot for a general election.
  • Request and return your absentee ballot early to account for mail time and to allow time to resolve any issues that may arise when voting by absentee ballot
  • CLICK HERE for more information and instructions on requesting and voting with absentee ballots

WHERE DO I VOTE?

  • CLICK HERE to find out your early voting locations
  • CLICK HERE to find out your poll location on Election Day

WHAT TO BRING

Bring one of these seven forms of identification to vote in person:

  • Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar’s office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services. 
  • A Georgia driver’s license, even if expired
  • Student ID from a Georgia public College or University
  • Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state 
  • Valid U.S. passport ID 
  • Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter
  • Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter

BLACK RADIO AND THE VOTE

Black-owned radio started in Atlanta. On October 3, 1949, accountant and bank president Jesse B. Blayton Sr. took over WERD, the first station in the country owned and programmed by African Americans.

WERD broadcast from the Prince Hall Masonic Temple on Auburn Avenue, in the same building as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used its microphone to speak to the city. A few years later WAOK, one of the stations in this partnership, became one of the first in the nation built around R&B, and owner Zenas Sears brought the civil rights movement into its programming.

The stations that once carried news of the movement now carry the deadlines, the polling places and the rides to the polls. That thread runs through all of Atlanta's Black radio history, from a 1,000 watt AM signal on Auburn Avenue to the partners on this page.

VOTER RESOURCES

NEED A RIDE TO THE POLLS?

The New Georgia Project: Rides to the Polls offers van rides and Lyft rides to the polls.

IN-PERSON VOTING ASSISTANCE

Any voter who is 75 years of age or older, or who is disabled and requires assistance in voting, may vote immediately at the next available voting compartment or booth without having to wait in line. (As authorized by Code Section 21-2-409.). For more information on in-person voting assistance click here.

SAMPLE BALLOT AND CANDIDATE INFORMATION

Registered voters can view their sample ballots before an election. Sample ballots in Georgia typically include a mock-up of the actual ballot, a list of candidates and ballot measures, the date of the election, and instructions for voting. CLICK HERE to view your sample ballot.

Ballotpedia: is the digital encyclopedia of American politics, and the nation’s premier resource for unbiased information on elections, politics and policy

  • 2026 U.S. Senate election in Georgia
  • 2026 Georgia governor and state executive elections
  • 2026 Congressional election candidates and information
  • 2026 Georgia state legislative elections
  • 2026 Local election information

OTHER RESOURCES