What is list maintenance?

In Georgia, the process of removing voters from the voter rolls, sometimes referred to as "purging," is conducted during odd number years by the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to maintain the voter rolls. Even if you are an active voter and vote in most or all elections, you should check your voter registration.

What are the reasons someone might be purged from the voter rolls?

• Inactivity notice: The state regularly sends notices of inactivity to voters who haven't participated in an election or had any other contact with the state's election system for the past five years.
• Inactive status: If no response is received to the inactivity notice, the voter's registration is moved to "inactive status".
• Final notice and removal: Voters who remain inactive for two federal election cycles without voting or having any other contact with election officials are mailed another notice asking them to confirm their registration. If they do not respond to the second notice, their registration is canceled and they are removed from the voter rolls.

What if my voter registration status says “inactive?”

You can still vote. When you vote, whether in person or with a vote-by-mail ballot, your registration status will be changed to “active.” You can also contact your county elections office to ask them to help you update your voter registrations to active. Click here to find your county elections office's phone number.

What if I am an active voter, but I get a notice that I am on the list to be “purged”?

This process is not always accurate and sometimes voters who are active are placed on the inactive list.

You should follow the steps above: contact your county’s elections office ASAP to check your registration and ask them to remove you from the “inactive” list. You can find your county elections office number here. If you receive a postcard in the mail from the Secretary of State, complete and return it right away.