Voting with a Conviction Record in Georgia

Maybe. If you are on probation for a misdemeanor, you can vote. If you are serving a felony First Offender or Conditional Discharge sentence, and the status hasn’t been revoked, you can vote while still serving the sentence. But if you were convicted of a felony or had your felony First Offender or Conditional Discharge revoked and are still on probation, you are not eligible to vote until you complete your sentence, including any time on non-report status. Note: If you have served more than three years on probation, you may qualify for early termination. See GJP.org/probation for details.

Your right to vote is automatically restored when your sentence is complete. If you are not sure if your sentence is complete you can request a Certificate of Sentence Completion from the Department of Community Supervision (DCS). This Certificate confirms you are no longer under felony supervision and have completed your sentence. To obtain a Certificate, contact the DCS Call Center at 678-783-4337 or request from your local probation office.

If your sentence is complete, you can vote. According to the Secretary of State, if you were on probation, all fines are automatically cancelled upon completion of probation, so you are eligible to vote as soon as you complete probation. It also does not matter if you still owe restitution or other fees – you can still vote if your sentence is complete. If you are not sure if your sentence is complete, contact DCS for a Certificate of Sentence Completion.

Yes. If you pled “Nolo,” you can vote, even while serving your sentence. Nolo pleas are rare for felonies.

No. Your right to vote is automatically restored upon completion of your sentence—you do not need your record expunged or pardoned. You are not required to provide documentation about your criminal history to register.

Unfortunately, some people are incorrectly told this. To resolve this for yourself, present to the Voter Registration Office one of the following: a Certificate of Sentence Completion from DCS, a termination letter from DCS, a court order terminating your probation, a signed letter from your probation officer, or an email sent directly to the Voter Registrar from DCS/probation officer. Also, please notify GJP if you were incorrectly told you could not register so we can track where this problem occurs. 

Maybe. Maybe. If you are in jail because of a pending case or are serving a sentence for a misdemeanor conviction, you can vote. But if you have been convicted of a felony and are awaiting transfer to a state prison, you cannot vote until your sentence is complete. In order to register and vote absentee, you will need an acceptable form of ID, which may require help from someone else. For more information about how to vote from jail, click here. 

No. Unless you were sentenced under First Offender Act or Conditional Discharge and the status hasn't been revoked. 

You can vote in Georgia if you are not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction. The voting laws of the other state don’t matter—Georgia law applies to Georgia residents.

No. It is against the law to try to register to vote when you know you are not eligible.

At the time of the election, you must be at least 18 years old and have photo ID. To register you must also be a United States citizen, a Georgia resident, and have not been declared mentally incompetent.

Register online at registertovote.sos.ga.gov. You can also register in person at your county’s Board of Registrars office.

If you have more questions or need help understanding if your sentence is complete, contact the Georgia Justice Project at 404-827-0027 ext. 248 or Ann@GJP.org. If you have any difficulty registering or casting your ballot, contact the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

GJP.org/Voting has this FAQ sheet, a poster, videos, and more information about Certificates of Sentence Completion. We can also share a canvasser guide about this issue with voter outreach organizations.

If your life has been impacted by the criminal legal system, you may be especially interested in knowing that you can influence, through voting, who holds elected offices in that system. Local elections include your county’s DA, solicitor general, sheriff, judges, school board, city council, county commission, and others.

To learn what races will be on your ballot and more about the candidates’ positions on various issues, go to branch.vote. Once you enter your address, it will pull up the ballot and candidates specific to your address.

You must register to vote by October 7^th in order to vote in the November election and the potential December runoff.  More info can be found here.  

Go to the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.  Enter your name, county where you registered/live, and your date of birth and it should pull up your voter registration information.  Be sure to check this before the registration deadline so if there are any issues, you have time to address it. 

You can find your polling location (for election day) and early voting locations and dates for your county on the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.  You can also see a sample ballot on My Voter Page so you know what you will be voting on in that election.  To learn more about what those elected offices do and who the candidates are, go to Branch.Vote.  Once you enter your address, it will show your ballot and provide information about the candidates’ positions on various issues so you can decide which candidate best aligns with your values and what is important to you.