ATLANTA – State Representative Mark Hamilton (R-Cumming) reminded Georgians today that beginning Saturday, January 21, 2012, the state’s military and overseas citizens can access their absentee ballot electronically for the Tuesday, March 6, 2012 presidential primary.
“It has been an honor working to help ensure that the men and women serving in our military are given the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted,” said Rep. Hamilton. “I look forward to continuing this effort and working with Secretary Kemp and his office to reach even more military and overseas voters.”
To help promote the new, extended voting opportunities for military personnel and their families, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp created two tutorial videos that specifically address absentee ballot voting options for Georgia’s military and overseas citizens. To access these videos, please visit the Secretary of State’s website at http://sos.ga.gov.
“Georgia is keeping its promise to our overseas citizens and the men and women who fight to protect our Constitution and our freedoms, by protecting their voting rights and providing them additional opportunities to vote and fully participate in our elections,” said Secretary Kemp.
Secretary Kemp also acknowledged the work of Rep. Hamilton to promote voting options for Georgia’s military. Kemp stated, “I want to thank Rep. Mark Hamilton for his dedication to increasing opportunities for Georgia’s military members and overseas citizens to vote. He has been a consistent leader in election matters, especially on items relating to military voting. With his help, we will ensure that the voices of the men and women who protect our freedoms overseas are heard on Election Day.”
To access a presidential primary ballot electronically, Georgia’s military and overseas citizens must request an absentee ballot from their county election office, indicate a political party preference, and check the appropriate box to receive their ballot electronically. They can then log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. Additionally, military and overseas voters may receive access to absentee ballots for an entire year’s election cycle, eliminating the need to submit multiple ballot requests. Georgia’s military and overseas citizens can request their absentee ballot on the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page website at http://www.sos.ga.gov/mvp.
Additionally, the Secretary of State’s Elections Division website features a “Military and Overseas Voters” page that includes:
Who qualifies as a military or overseas voter, and how to request and return an absentee ballot;
Downloadable absentee ballot request forms;
Contact information for your county election office; and
Important links to state and federal voting information.
Representative Mark Hamilton represents the citizens of District 23, which includes parts of Cherokee and Forsyth counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006 and currently serves as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications, Industrial Relations, and Transportation committees.
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