Board of Elections & Registration

The Board of Elections and Registration is responsible for voter registration & record maintenance, voting district maintenance, and the administration of all county, state, and federal elections including advance voting and absentee ballots.

The Board of Elections and Registration has a full-time Supervisor and Election Assistant to assist the citizens of Mitchell County.

Meetings:

Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 11 am. They are held in the office for the Board of Elections and Registration at 32 N Court Ave. Camilla, GA. They are open to the public.

Department Staff

Laura Hartsfield – Election Supervisor
Wendy Bennett – Elections Assistant

Board Members

Gustine Hayward – Chairperson – Email:  gustinehayward@yahoo.com
Cecile Brown – Vice Chairperson – Email: cilebrown42@gmail.com
Juliet Thomas – Secretary – Email: jvbthomas44@gmail.com
Valerie Neal – Member – Email: vdneal@hughes.net
Susan Rackley – Member – Email: susanrackley00@gmail.com

Voting Information

Register to vote in person (with valid ID) by visiting the office or online at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do

Secretary of State Website: Homepage | Georgia Secretary of State (ga.gov)

SB 202 – WHAT’S NEW FOR VOTERS?

Senate Bill 202 was adopted by the Georgia General Assembly in 2021 and brings about a number of changes for voters.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

OLD WAY:
Prior to the passage of SB 202, signature verification was the primary means of checking voter identity for absentee ballots. Also, absentee ballots could be requested up until the Friday before Election Day. Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) ballots were required to go into the mail 45 days before Election Day. Other ballots-by-mail could be mailed following the UOCAVA mailing.

NEW WAY:
Under the new law, voters who wish to cast their ballot by absentee ballot must:
• Provide their Driver’s License number or other forms of voter ID specified on the absentee ballot form.
• Request their ballot at least 11 days before the election. The absentee ballot request deadline for the November 2 Election will be October 22.
• Use the updated absentee ballot form.
• Although UOCAVA ballots have the same deadline for the initial mailing, other ballots-by-mail can be sent no sooner than 30 days before Election Day, depending upon election type.

DROP BOXES

OLD WAY:
Absentee ballot drop boxes were introduced in Georgia in 2020 as a place where voters could deposit their absentee ballots. Boxes were placed outdoors under 24/7 video surveillance and were available 24 hours per day up until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

NEW WAY:
Under the new law, counties may have a maximum of one box per 100,000 registered voters. Mitchell County is allowed one absentee ballot drop box.
Box will be available in the lobby of the Board of Elections & Registration Office during early voting hours.

PROVISIONAL BALLOTS

OLD WAY:
Prior to the passage of SB 202, voters who went to the wrong precinct to vote on Election Day could cast a provisional ballot and cast a ballot for any races at that precinct for which they were eligible.

NEW WAY:
Under the new law, any provisional ballot cast by a voter in the wrong precinct will ONLY COUNT if it is cast after 5 p.m. This resulted in changes to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-418.

Voters who go to the wrong precinct before 5 p.m. will be directed to their correct precinct.

That’s why it’s more important than ever for voters to check their correct precinct before going to the polls on Election Day. Go to the Georgia My Voter page and make sure you go to the correct poll so your vote will be counted.

POLL WORKERS

OLD WAY:
In the past, poll workers were required to be residents of Mitchell County, or employees of the County.

NEW WAY:
After new changes to Code Section 21-2-92, poll workers can serve in an adjoining county, as long as the county where they reside is able to fully complete their election duties.

Absentee Voting

Georgia law allows residents to vote by absentee ballot, sometimes known as voting by mail.
Senate Bill 202 passed by the General Assembly in 2021 made many changes to the absentee ballot process, including new deadlines and ID requirements.

Request an Absentee Ballot
Voters must submit an absentee ballot application to request an absentee ballot.

How to Complete Your Absentee Ballot Application

• Download absentee ballot application (PDF), updated for 2021
• Complete the application including:
  • date of the election
  • voter’s name
  • the election in which you wish to vote
  • address where the voter is registered
  • date of birth
  • driver’s license number or other ID specified on the form, updated for 2021
  • voter’s signature

Return Your Ballot Application

By mail:
Mitchell County Board of Elections
P.O. Box 1009
Camilla, GA 31730

In Our Office:
Board of Elections & Registration Office
32 N Court Ave
Camilla, Ga. 31730

By fax:
229-336-4928

By email as an attachment:
lhartsfield@mitchellcountyga.net

RETURN YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT

After you return your absentee ballot application, a ballot will be mailed to you.
After your ballot arrives in the mail, please complete it carefully following the provided instructions.
To be counted, your absentee ballot must be received by the Board of Elections & Registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
There are three ways to return your ballot.

By mail:
Mitchell County Board of Elections
P.O. Box 1009
Camilla, GA 31730

By Drop Box:
Lobby of Mitchell County Board of Elections and Registration

In Our Office:
Board of Elections & Registration Office
32 N Court Ave
Camilla, Ga. 31730

Ballot Tracking

To find out if the Board of Elections has received your application for an Absentee Ballot, when your ballot was mailed, or if your voted ballot has been returned, view the My Voter Page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Advanced Voting

There are currently no advance voting dates for the County

General Information

• Advance Voting generally begins 21 days prior to Election Day, or as soon as possible for runoffs
• Advance Voting is available at the Mitchell County House or other location decided by the Board of Elections.
• Ballots cannot be removed from the voting room

Photo ID Requirements

Identification is Required to Vote at Precincts

Georgia Annotated Code section 21-2-417 requires identification at polls as follows:

Each elector shall present proper identification to a poll worker at or prior to completion of a voter’s certificate at any polling place and prior to such person’s admission to the enclosed space at such polling place.

Proper identification shall consist of any one of the following:

1. A Georgia driver’s license which was properly issued by the appropriate state agency;
2. A valid identification card issued by a branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the United States authorized by law to issue personal identification, provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the elector;
3. A valid United States passport;
4. A valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the elector and issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, this state, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state;
5. A valid United States military identification card, provided that such identification card contains a photograph of the elector; or
6. A valid tribal identification card containing a photograph of the elector.

Any elector who registered for the first time in Georgia by mail, and did not provide identification at the time of registering, may provide one of the six (6) items of photo identification listed above, or for the electors’ first time voting, may provide one of the following forms of identification:

• Copy of a current utility bill
• Bank statement,
• Government check,
• Paycheck, or
• Other government document that shows the name and address of the elector.

Voters with Disabilities

Information on Georgia’s Voting System and Assistance When Voting

Every effort has been made to determine whether our polling places have basic accessibility features needed by voters with disabilities.  In some cases, we may provide temporary measures such as directional or disabled parking signs, ramps, cones, or ballot call devices to make the polling place accessible on Election Day.

There are many options available to assist Georgia voters when casting their ballot.  For more information on Georgia’s voting system and how to receive assistance when casting your ballot, please click:  Secretary of State’s Website.

Applying to Vote by Mail

A disabled voter residing inside the county may receive assistance from an adult relative to apply for an absentee ballot. The box on the application that indicates the voter is disabled must be checked, and the relative completing the application must sign the oath on the application, indicating they have assisted the voter in applying for the ballot. The voter must also sign the application, or if the voter is unable to sign make a mark. If the voter’s signature or mark does not match that which is on file in the Elections office, the voter may be mailed a provisional absentee ballot and be required to provide additional information to cure the discrepancy.

A disabled or advanced aged voter may request to receive all ballots by mail for the remaining elections within the current election cycle. This option is available for selection on all absentee ballot applications, except that special elections are not included.

Voting the Absentee Ballot

A physically disabled voter may receive assistance in preparing his or her ballot any person of the voter’s choice except:

• the voter’s employer or agent of the employer; or,
• an officer or agent of the voter’s union; or,
• a candidate on the ballot; or,
• a candidate’s mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, unless the voter is related to the candidate by one of these same relationships.

The person assisting the disabled voter in preparing the ballot shall sign the oath printed on the same envelope as the oath to be signed by the voter. Georgia law requires that the voter make a mark if unable to sign the oath. If the voter’s signature or mark does not match that which is on file in the Elections office, the absentee ballot will be held in provisional status until the voter corrects the discrepancy. Voters may be asked to update their registration record to ensure the latest signature or mark is on file. Neither a Power of Attorney, nor another person’s signature is valid for the purpose of voting.

Returning the Absentee Ballot

An adult relative, caregiver, or individual residing in the household of the disabled voter may mail or personally deliver the voted ballot to the Elections Office.

The ballot may be returned by any adult person upon satisfactory proof that such adult person is the voter’s mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, an individual residing in the household, or a caregiver, regardless of whether the caregiver resides in the disabled voter’s household.

In-Person Voting

Between the hours of 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., each elector who is 75 years of age or older or who is disabled and requires assistance in voting shall, upon request to a poll officer, be allowed to vote at the next available voting compartment without having to wait in line.

• Poll workers will work the disabled or elderly person in as soon as possible given the number of other voters in line at time.
• Once the ballot is accessed on-screen, the voter may select display settings that enlarge the text or change the contrast.
• There will be at least one voting unit at each polling place set up for easy access by wheelchair or from a seated position.
• Voters who have sight disabilities and wish to use an audio ballot, should notify the poll worker at the ID check-in station.
• At least one voting unit in each polling place will be equipped with a headset and a tactile voting device for navigating the audio ballot.

Poll Workers

Mitchell County continually looks for residents that want to serve their community by working on election day as a poll worker. Election day poll workers will help set up and open the polling place, greet voters, assist voters, and close the polling place.

We are looking for workers who take pride in their work, are patient, take direction well, and who pay attention to detail.

Qualifications

• At least 16 years and older
• U.S. Citizen and can read, write, and speak English
• Trained for each election
• Must be able to work a full day at the polls, Election Days are approximately 12-14 hour days
• Basic computer skills are helpful
• Must not hold a current Public Office position
• Is not a parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in law, son-in-law, daughter- in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law of a candidate whose name appears on the ballot in the precinct in which the poll worker will be assigned during a primary or election
• Must not have ever been convicted of a felony

Benefits

• Get paid to serve your community
• Unique Opportunity to experience the fundamental part of the voting process
• Cultivate an interest in the election process
• Work side by side with your neighbors
• Gain resume experience

To apply, please print and bring in the following form: Poll Worker Application

Department Location

32 N. Court Avenue, Camilla, GA 31730