Fiction: My ballot was missing a candidate in the Soil and Water Conservation race. The title said vote for three but there were only two candidates listed.
Fact: The third candidate is deceased, and no substitute candidate was added.

Fiction: I keep getting robo calls, why has my phone number been given out?
Fact: Phone numbers are not maintained by the Gwinnett County Elections Division, and therefore, are not given out by this office. 

Fiction: I was never notified that my political districts changed. Why did they change and why weren’t voters notified?
Fact: After every decennial census, reapportionment of political districts is required nationwide to ensure citizens are equally represented. All registered voters were mailed new yellow precinct ID cards to provide the information on the new districts. Some of these may have been discarded as junk mail, or, if a voter had not changed their address with the elections office, the notice may have been sent to the old address, or lastly, it may have been lost in the mail.

To find your polling location, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

Fiction: I heard that my absentee ballot will not be counted unless a race is close.
Fact:  All voted absentee ballots that are lawfully voted will be counted.

Fiction: I have to vote for every race on my ballot in order for my ballot to be completely counted.
Fact:  Any race that is voted on will be counted, even if it’s just one.

Fiction: I didn’t vote in the Primary Election, so I cannot vote in the General Election.
Fact: All registered voters are eligible to vote in the General Election. It does not matter that you didn’t vote in any of the earlier elections.

Fiction: When I vote in the General Election I can only vote for the party candidates I voted for in the earlier elections.
Fact: There is nothing in the General Election that ties a voter to a party in Georgia, so you can vote for any candidate in any race.

Fiction: I can write my name on a write-in candidate line and it will be included in the elections results.
Fact: Only votes for certified write-in candidates will be counted. No others will be included in the results.

Fiction: I’ve lost my precinct ID card and I can’t vote without it.
Fact: The precinct ID card is not needed to vote. The card simply informs you of your political district information and your polling locations . In order to vote you need a photo ID; if you don’t have an ID with you when you go to vote, you are still eligible to vote a provisional ballot and then provide the ID to the elections office by 5:00pm the Friday after the election in order to have your ballot counted .

Fiction: Georgia’s Secretary of State has sold the tabulating of votes to Scytl, a Spanish company.
Fact: In Georgia, the tabulation of votes is conducted in each county. The results are simply displayed by the company.

Fiction: I can’t vote because my status shows me as “inactive.”
Fact: You can vote, even if your registration status is in question. You will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

Fiction: I didn’t vote in the 2008 Presidential Election, so I can’t vote in 2012.
Fact: The 2008 presidential election is a completely separate election from the 2012 election. If you are registered and eligible to vote, you may cast your ballot in the November 6, 2012, election.

Fiction: I’ve moved and/or changed my name since the last time I voted. May I still vote?
Fact: Yes; you will vote at your old polling location and complete a form there to update your registration information. You can also update your voter registration online on the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. 

Fiction: Now that Georgia has provisional ballots, I can vote at any poll.
Fact: No, provisional ballots are only for voters whose registration is in question or who show up late in the day at the wrong poll and can’t make it to their correct poll by 7:00pm. To find your polling location, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

You also have the option to vote advance or absentee. For more information on receiving an absentee ballot, visit the Absentee Voting webpage. Visit the Polling Place Locator webpage for advance voting dates and locations. 

Fiction: I don’t have to vote on the touchscreen units. There are paper ballots that I can use to vote.
Fact: Georgia does not provide for voters to make that choice. Unless you have a specific circumstance, you cannot vote on a paper provisional ballot.