Absentee Ballot Updates

As a result of COVID-19 concerns, every registered voter in Athens-Clarke County was mailed an application for an Absentee Ballot for the June 9, 2020 election. This application provides instructions for how to request an Absentee Ballot by mail.

Voters who have requested an absentee ballot by mail will receive a package with four things inside:

Absentee Ballot
Instructions for filling out and returning the ballot
"Official Absentee Ballot" paper sleeve
Return envelope

Due to the number of Absentee Ballots requested statewide, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office is including a "Official Absentee Ballot" paper sleeve instead of an envelope labelled "Official Absentee Ballot" as used in previous Absentee Ballot packages. This will allow for quicker processing of ballots due to staff not having to open two separate envelopes for every mailed ballot.

There is no official Absentee Ballot return envelope. However, there is an official Absentee Ballot sleeve.

Although the instructions in the Absentee Ballot package mention an envelope, voters should instead use the ballot paper sleeve. The Elections Office will accept ballots that do not include the privacy paper sleeve.

Instructions for voters using Absentee Ballot by Mail options:

Select voting choices on the Absentee Ballot
Fold the ballot and place it inside the “Official Absentee Ballot” paper sleeve.
Place the sleeve with the ballot inside into the outer return envelope and sign the oath located on the flap of the outer envelope.
Return it to the Athens-Clarke County Elections Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on June 9, 2020 either:
- by mail, or
- by using the secure drop box located in front of the Elections Office at 155 East Washington Street, Athens, GA 30601 (photo below)

The last day to register to vote for the June 9 General Primary is May 11, 2020.

The last day to make a request for an Absentee Ballot is June 5, 2020.

For more information and to see a list of FAQs about Absentee Voting, visit the Absentee Voting area at www.accgov.com/elections or call 706-613-3150.

176 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 13 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 176 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 13 deaths as of 7:25 p.m. on May 7.

The case tracker has recently been updated to a new format and provides additional county-level information, including the number of cases per 100,000 people (135.62 for Athens-Clarke County).

If you view the data, however, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 13 deaths range in age from 60-98. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out most days with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.