Decatur Guide 2020: Deadlines, Candidates, How To Vote

DECATUR, GA — The Nov. 3 election is quickly approaching in Decatur, and voters have already begun submitting absentee ballots through early voting locations, mail and drop boxes. This year, Decatur voters will decide on races for president, U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Early Voting
All drop boxes are under 24-hour surveillance and ballots are securely collected at least once a day. As a reminder, ballots must be dropped off at a drop box by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in order to be counted.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 General Election begins Oct. 12 and ends Oct. 30. Voters can head to the early voting polling sites during the following days and times:

• Monday, Oct. 12 to Friday, Oct. 16: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 23: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Oct. 30: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday Voting: Oct. 17 and 24 at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday Voting: Oct. 18 and 25 at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A list of all early voting locations can be found online.

Absentee Voting
A secure drop-off box is an option for returning absentee ballots for Midtown voters during the early voting period. Secure drop boxes are a convenient option for voters to drop off absentee ballots, absentee ballot applications or voter registration forms. Boxes are available throughout Fulton County.

All absentee ballots must be received by the DeKalb County Department of Registration and Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Residents can return their absentee ballot by mail or in one of the DeKalb County Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes. Absentee ballots may not be returned at a voter's polling place.

Ballot boxes can be found in near Decatur at:

VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OFFICE
4380 MEMORIAL DRIVE SUITE 300 DECATUR 30032

COAN RECREATION CENTER
1530 WOODBINE AVENUE, SE ATLANTA 30317

LYNWOOD RECREATION CENTER
3360 OSBORNE ROAD, NE BROOKHAVEN 30319

CORE4 ATLANTA
2050 WILL ROSS COURT CHAMBLEE 30341

AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE MARY BROWN BULLOCK SCIENCE CENTER
141 E. COLLEGE AVENUE (E. DOUGHERTY STREET) DECATUR 30030

BEREAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH KERWIN B. LEE FAMILY LIFE CENTER
2197 YOUNG ROAD STONE MOUNTAIN 30088

COUNTY LINE-ELLENWOOD LIBRARY
4331 RIVER ROAD ELLENWOOD 30294

DUNWOODY LIBRARY
5339 CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY ROAD DUNWOODY 30338

THE GALLERY AT SOUTH DEKALB
2801 CANDLER ROAD DECATUR 30034

HOUSE OF HOPE ATLANTA – H. F. SHEPARD COMPLEX
4650 FLAT SHOALS PARKWAY DECATUR 30034

FORMER SAM'S CLUB BUILDING
2994 TURNER HILL ROAD STONECREST 30038

REID H. COFER LIBRARY
5234 LAVISTA ROAD TUCKER 30084

Here are hours and dates.

Here's the full list of dropbox locations near Decatur.

Preparing for Election Day

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you are allowed to cast your ballot.

On Election Day, you must vote at your designated polling place. You can find your assigned polling location on your voter registration card, by logging into the Secretary of State's My Voter Page, or by contacting your County Board of Registrar's Office.

When you get to your polling place, show your photo ID to the poll worker. A poll worker will check your photo ID, verify that you are registered and at the correct polling location, issue you a voter access card or ballot, whichever is applicable, and allow you to vote. Learn how to vote at polling places in Georgia.

What's on the Ballot
Sample ballots are now available for DeKalb County voters.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger summarized the statewide referendum and two proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the General Election ballot.

Georgians will have the opportunity to cast a "yes" or "no" vote on both proposed amendments and the referendum that the general assembly approved during its current term for voter consideration.

The wording of the ballot questions is available on sample ballots found at mvp.sos.ga.

Amendment 1

"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were intended?"

Raffensperger's summary: This proposal authorizes the Georgia General Assembly by general law to require that fees or taxes collected for some specific intended public purpose be used as so intended. It requires any such general law to identify the specific public purpose, name the state agency to administer the funds, require the agency to make annual reports of revenues and expenses, and automatically end the fee or tax within ten years. It prohibits the General Assembly from designating funds when total revenues so dedicated equal or exceed one percent of the total state revenues based on the previous fiscal year's appropriated state revenues. It exempts such general laws from certain state constitutional restrictions. It requires that such general laws, including amendments, be approved by two-thirds of each chamber of the General Assembly, but allows for repeal of such general laws by simple majority vote. It prohibits attempts to reallocate dedicated funds through any appropriations act or amendment. It provides for temporary suspension of such general laws by the Governor or by the General Assembly in the event of a financial emergency, subject to certain limitations. It amends Article III, Section IX, Paragraph VI of the Georgia Constitution by re-designating the second subparagraph (o), relating to the dedication of the excise tax on the sale of fireworks, as subparagraph (p), by re-designating subparagraph (p), relating to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Fund, as subparagraph (q), and by adding a new subparagraph (r).

Amendment 2

"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to waive sovereign immunity and allow the people of Georgia to petition the superior court for relief from governmental acts done outside the scope of lawful authority or which violate the laws of this state, the Constitution of Georgia, or the Constitution of the United States?"

Raffensperger's summary: This proposal waives state and local sovereign immunity so as to allow citizens to sue the State of Georgia, its departments and other agencies, and its local governments in superior courts and authorizes superior courts to order state and local officers and employees to cease violations of the Georgia Constitution, the laws of the State of Georgia, or the United States Constitution, beginning with violations occurring on or after January 1, 2021. It requires that such suits be brought only against the State or Georgia, or in the case of a local government, against the specific local government. It requires superior courts to dismiss any such lawsuit that names any individual state or local public officer or employee as a defendant. It maintains the ability of superior courts to dismiss such suits based on other appropriate legal or equitable grounds or limitation on review in superior court. It prohibits any type of monetary award, including attorney's fees or costs of litigation, unless authorized by an Act of the Georgia General Assembly. It does not prohibit the General Assembly from further waiving certain other immunities provided for under Georgia's Constitution, though it does not waive any immunity provided for by the United States Constitution. It amends Article I, Section II, Paragraph V of the Georgia Constitution by rendering the current text subparagraph (a) and adding a new subparagraph (b).

Referendum

"Shall the Act be approved which provides an exemption from ad valorem taxes for all real property owned by a purely public charity, if such charity is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code and such real property is held exclusively for the purpose of building or repairing single-family homes to be financed by such charity to individuals using loans that shall not bear interest?"

Raffensperger's summary: This proposal authorizes a new exemption from ad valorem taxes for all real property owned by a purely public charity, if such charity is exempt from federal taxation and such property is used only for building or repairing single-family homes to be financed by such charity to individuals using zero-interest loans. It amends Code Section 48-5-41 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (14), by replacing the period with "; and" at the end of paragraph (15), and by adding a new paragraph.
If approved by a majority of the voters, the act becomes effective on January 1, 2021, and applies to all tax years beginning on or after that date.

For more information, visit mvp.sos.ga.