Judge Rules Georgia County Can Receive Absentee Ballots Three Days After Election Day

A judge in Cobb County, Georgia ruled this week that absentee ballots can be turned in up to three days after election day.

The delay affected over 3,000 absentee ballots, prompting election officials to use USPS express mail, UPS overnight delivery, and prepaid express return envelopes to expedite delivery.

In response to the delays, a judge ruled Friday that Cobb County voters who receive their ballots late can still have their votes counted if the ballots are postmarked by Election Day and returned by November 8, three days after the election.

The decision followed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Southern Poverty Law Center, who sought an extension to protect voters affected by the delays.

“We want to maintain voter trust by being transparent about the situation,” county Board of Elections Chairwoman Tori Silas said in a statement Thursday. “We are taking every possible step to get these ballots to the voters who requested them.”

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