By Jackie Killings, President of the League of Women Voters of Georgia
This is an installment in the League of Women Voters of Georgia’s “How Georgia Votes” series. To read previous installments in the “How Georgia Votes” series, follow this link.
For a first-time voter, or for anyone who has been away from the polls for a while, the polling place can feel like a mystery. It is not. In this week’s “How Georgia Votes,” I want to take you inside, from the check-in table to the ballot scanner, and explain who else is in the room and what they are and are not allowed to do.
Checking in. When you arrive at your assigned polling place, you go to the check-in table and show an acceptable photo ID, such as a Georgia driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, or a free voter ID card from your county. A poll worker finds you on the electronic pollbook, called a poll pad, and your address tells the system which ballot style is yours.
You then receive a card that you take to the ballot marking device, where you make your selections, print your paper ballot, review it, and scan it yourself. Simple, and entirely in your hands.
Who else is in the room. Poll workers run the precinct. They are trained, sworn, and hired from the community they serve. You may also see poll watchers, and this is where people are often unclear, so here is the plain version.
In Georgia, poll watchers are not members of the public who decide to stop by. They are designated in advance by a political party, a candidate, or in some cases a committee tied to a ballot question, and they wear a badge that identifies them. They are permitted to observe so that everyone can see the process runs properly.
They are not permitted to speak to voters, ask how you voted, interfere with your voting, or handle election materials. If anyone ever tries to influence you inside a polling place, tell a poll worker.
Getting help if you need it. Georgia law protects your right to assistance. If you have a disability, or cannot read the English on the ballot, you may bring a person of your choice to help you vote, as long as that person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.
A poll worker can assist you as well. No Georgian should ever be turned away simply because they need help making their way through the ballot.
The whole experience is built to be straightforward, transparent, and yours. When you know what to expect, you walk in ready, and you walk out having done something that matters.
Next in our “How Georgia Votes” series: how the votes are counted after the polls close, and how Georgia audits its own results.
Jackie Killings is president of the League of Women Voters of Georgia, a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and never supports or opposes any candidate or political party. Learn more at lwvga.org and Vote411.org.
Monica Granderson is the President of the League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb County. To see information about activities of the local league, along with Cobb-specific voting and elections information, visit lwvmariettacobbga.com.