Georgia’s 6.9 million active voters can expect to receive mail from the Secretary of State’s office in the upcoming weeks. It will be an application for absentee voting in the upcoming May 19 Primary.

This is part of a push by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to get people to vote by absentee ballots to allow for social distancing as the state deals with COVID 19.

Voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for President during the May 19 Primary, but will also be voting for U.S. Senators and Congressmen, State Senators and Representatives and in their local elections. Non-partisan seats, such as judgeships, will also be decided in the May election. Georgia’s presidential primary was originally scheduled to take place March 24. But it was postponed during early voting because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Raffensperger has rejected calls in the last two days to move the May 19 election date — possibly into June – adding that legally he is not able to do this.

A spokesperson for the SOS office said active voters will receive the applications by mail in the next few weeks. They will fill out that application, choosing whether they want to vote in the Democratic Party or Republican Party primary, sign their names, add a 55-cent stamp, and return it in order to receive their ballot for the May primary.

Completed ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on May 19 to be counted.

Those who have already cast their ballots in the Presidential Primary during early voting will receive only a ballot for the May 19 races. Those who had not already voted in the Presidential Primary will be able to vote in both elections.

According to a representative from the SOS, applications will be mailed only to the state’s active voters, adding that there are currently 380,000 inactive voters in the state.

The state will maintain in-person voting options for the May primary.