Vote next week, if you wish

GAINESVILLE - First there was early voting. Now comes "early, early" voting.

The July 18 primaries are still several weeks away, but you can start voting next week, if you wish - if you get your request in right away.

And, when the ballot's returned to you "Fill it out and you will return it to the (elections) office just like you would an absentee ballot," Hall County elections chief Anne Phillips Lea.

Lea says you can mail or fax your request - and you don't have to give a reason. In the past, you had to give a reason for wanting to vote by mail or vote absentee in the elections office - "out of town on election day, disabled or have some (other) reason for asking that a ballot be mailed to your home," Lea said.

She emphasizes that no e-mail requests are allowed, only regular mail and by fax. The reason is because a "signature" is needed. Other information that is needed on the request includes name, address, return address, and reason - either one of the usual reasons or, with the changes in place this year, "no reason."

Lea says you can go ahead any time and request a ballot. She says her office, by law, has to have the ballots by Saturday. Requests will be processed as they come in, meaning some ballots could be on their way back to the applicant as early as next week. Lea says if you have not received your ballot within 10-to-14 days of sending in your request, to call the elections office.

However, she warns "just like touching the 'cast ballot' button on the touch screen machines, (once you mail the ballot in) you have voted. Once we have received the ballot in our office, there is no going back, changing. The ballot is voted."

You will still be able to vote at Lea's office the week prior to election day. That concept was introduced in Georgia two years ago and resulted in extremely long lines.