Georgia 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Georgia

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Georgia, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Georgia

GA-14 · Georgia

Clay Fuller

Clay Fuller, GA-14 Republican: former Lookout Mountain district attorney and Air National Guard judge advocate; won the 2026 special election to succeed Greene.

Read Clay Fuller's recordThe race

GA-1 · Georgia

Jim Kingston

Savannah-born insurance broker and son of former Rep. Jack Kingston; Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for Georgia's 1st District in 2026.

Read Jim Kingston's recordThe race

GA-SEN · Georgia

Mike Collins

Georgia trucking-company founder, two-term congressman and sponsor of the Laken Riley Act; Republican nominee against Senator Jon Ossoff in 2026.

Read Mike Collins's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Georgia Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026 is the last day to register to vote, or to change the address on your registration, for the November 3, 2026 general election. The Secretary of State gives this single date, with no separate online, mail or in-person cutoffs and no time of day. Its FAQ says you must be registered ahead of an election to vote in that election. sos.ga.gov
• Absentee ballots start being mailedOctober 5, 2026 is the first day county registrars mail or issue official absentee ballots for the November general election. For military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters, the first day is September 15, 2026. sos.ga.gov
• Early voting (advance voting) beginsOctober 13, 2026. Advance voting must begin the fourth Monday before the election; the Secretary of State's calendar notes that the date was moved to the next business day because of a state holiday. sos.ga.gov
• Early voting (advance voting) endsOctober 30, 2026 is the last day of advance voting. Within the period, counties must hold Saturday voting on October 17 and October 24, 2026, and may hold Sunday voting on October 18 and/or October 25, 2026. sos.ga.gov
• Deadline to request an absentee (mail) ballotOctober 23, 2026 is the last day to request an absentee-by-mail ballot. The application form says the application must be received by your election office 11 days before the election. The request period opened on August 17, 2026. sos.ga.gov
• Deadline to return an absentee ballot (received, not postmarked)November 3, 2026 (Election Day): your voted absentee ballot must be received by your county registrar no later than the close of polls; polls are open until 7:00 p.m. This is a received-by deadline: ballots received after the polls close cannot be counted. Military and overseas (UOCAVA) ballots postmarked by the election date are counted if received by 5:00 p.m. on November 6, 2026. sos.ga.gov
• Election DayNovember 3, 2026. A general election runoff, if one is needed, is set for December 1, 2026. sos.ga.gov
• Poll hoursPolls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026, at your assigned polling place. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will still be allowed to vote. sos.ga.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  Georgia law requires photo identification when voting, either in person or absentee. For in-person voting the Secretary of State lists: 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; a student ID from a Georgia public college or university; a 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; a valid U.S. passport; a valid U.S. military photo ID; or a valid tribal photo ID. A free voter ID card can be issued at any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services office. On an absentee ballot application, give your driver's license number or, if you do not have one, your state-issued ID card number; a voter with neither provides a copy or photo of another listed ID or of a document that shows name and address (current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document). Read from: sos.ga.gov

• Voting absentee by mail

  In Georgia you can vote by absentee ballot in any election, even if you will not be absent from the county on Election Day. Request the ballot online through the Secretary of State's absentee ballot portal, or send the completed Absentee Ballot Application to your county election office by mail, email (as an attachment), fax or in person. The application asks for your address, date of birth, the county where you are registered, and your driver's license or free state ID number (or a copy of another listed ID). For the November 3, 2026 general election, requests are accepted from August 17, 2026 through October 23, 2026; hospital patients have an extra day to apply. Return the voted ballot by mail in the pre-addressed envelope, in a ballot drop box, or by hand delivery; it must be received by the county registrar no later than the close of polls on Election Day. The Secretary of State's absentee voting guide says postage must be affixed when mailing, and that a voted ballot can be returned by the voter, by a family member designated in O.C.G.A. 21-2-385(a) or by a person living in the voter's household. Check with your county elections office for the drop box locations available to you. If you miss the request deadline, you can still vote in person during early voting or on Election Day. Read from: sos.ga.gov

• Early voting (advance voting in person)

  Advance voting for the November 3, 2026 general election runs from October 13, 2026 through October 30, 2026. Counties must offer voting on Saturday, October 17 and Saturday, October 24, 2026, and a county can also offer it on Sunday, October 18 and/or Sunday, October 25, 2026. You can vote at any early voting location in your county; find one on My Voter Page or with the Secretary of State's Advance Voting Location Information search. Photo ID is required when voting in person (see What to bring). The Secretary of State's pages do not print daily hours; contact your county election office. Read from: sos.ga.gov

• Track your absentee ballot

  If you voted by absentee ballot, you can check its status on My Voter Page, the Secretary of State's voter portal. The same portal lets you check your registration and shows the early voting locations in your county, your assigned Election Day polling place and a sample ballot. If your absentee ballot never arrives, contact your county elections office; it can issue a new one or tell you how to cancel that ballot so you can vote in person. Read from: sos.ga.gov

• Fixing a problem with your absentee ballot

  For the November 3, 2026 general election, the Secretary of State's calendar sets the absentee ballot cure deadline at 5:00 p.m. on November 6, 2026: the last day voters can cure timely submitted absentee ballots for a missing signature or an information mismatch. The Secretary of State's absentee voting guide says that if the ID number is missing, does not match what is on record, or other documentation is not sufficient, your county will contact you and provide a document with which you can supply the necessary ID to verify your ballot. Read from: sos.ga.gov

• Voting after a felony conviction

  The Secretary of State's Elections FAQ says: “Convicted felons are not eligible to register and vote in the State of Georgia except upon completion of the sentence, including any probation, parole, or payment of fines owed.” The same page says a person may not register while currently serving a sentence for a felony. The state voter registration application has the applicant swear or affirm: “I am not serving a sentence for having been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude.” Read from: sos.ga.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Georgia Secretary of State:

U.S. Senate · Governor · Lieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Attorney General · Agriculture Commissioner · Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner · Labor Commissioner · State School Superintendent · Public Service Commissioner (Districts 3 and 5)

Questions and answers