x
Breaking News
More () »

Houston, Macon-Bibb elections boards start processing absentee ballots

Volunteers at the Macon-Bibb Board of Elections are processing more than 12,000 absentee ballots returned as of Tuesday, but the work is far from over.

MACON, Ga. — Election Day is inching closer, and Macon-Bibb County is breaking records with both early voting and absentee ballot requests.

"Voted in person, 13,222 and we have received back over 12,000 of those ballots that we issued," says elections supervisor Jeanetta Watson.

Watson says they're taking advantage of the state's approval to start processing ballots two weeks early.

The first step is taking the ballot out of the mailing envelope. "Monday or Tuesday, we'll probably start scanning and then we'll be doing the whole process of processing them in, separating and batching them, removing the ballot from the envelope and scanning."

Watson says by law, they have to wait until 7 p.m. on election night before they can officially count the ballots.

The same rings true in Houston County, where elections assistant Andy Holland says the goal is to have all ballots and votes counted by the end of the night or within days.

"The plan right now is to have everything scanned by election night, but there's always provisional ballots that you have to wait until Friday for anyway," says Holland.

By state law, counties have 10 days, so until Friday, November 13th to get all of their numbers in and certified.

You have until October 30th to request your absentee ballot.

Before You Leave, Check This Out