DeKalb County’s elections department has unveiled a new “voter kiosk” that will allow residents to register to vote, update their information, print important documents and more.
The touchscreen kiosk is now available at the DeKalb elections office, located at 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300 in Decatur.
A second location is being planned and will be announced soon, officials said in a news release.
“Our new voter kiosk is another way we are working to ensure all DeKalb residents have convenient access to voting information,” said Twyla Hart, DeKalb’s interim elections director. “The kiosk is located in our lobby, so it’s an easy option for those who would like to use it.”
The device, which cost just shy of $5,000, was purchased using a previously acquired grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life. With a special focus on serving voters without easy internet access or printing capabilities, it provides access to information available on the state of Georgia’s My Voter Page and the DeKalb elections website.
“For DeKalb (Voter Registration and Elections]) to become a leader in voter accessibility, we have to address the digital divide that still exists the communities we serve,” said DeKalb elections board chair Dele Lowman Smith.
The deadline to register for November’s municipal elections is Monday, Oct. 4. Visit dekalbvotes.com for more information.
In DeKalb, contests on November’s ballot include dozens of mayor and city council races in several different cities — including the county’s portion of the city of Atlanta. Only residents who live in incorporated parts of those cities can vote in their respective elections.
All DeKalb voters, however, are eligible to vote on whether or not to extend an existing 1% sales tax to fund school system construction and other improvement projects.
If approved, the new tax would begin on July 1, 2022 and end June 30, 2027. DeKalb officials project the tax will raise about $742 million.
