The Georgia Elections Board says it is looking into the delayed mailing of absentee ballots to some Cobb voters for the U.S. Senate runoff.
The board held an emergency meeting Saturday to say it would be conducting a probe into 3,442 absentee ballots that were mailed last Monday due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Three Cobb voters filed a lawsuit to get extended time to return their ballots, and a consent decree was ordered Friday by a Cobb Superior Court judge.
Those voters who received ballots on or before Nov. 26 will have until Friday, Dec. 9, to return their ballots, but they must be postmarked by Tuesday, election day in the runoff between Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.
But at a court hearing Friday, Cobb Elections protested the extension of time, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also objected.
They said that the proper processes were followed for mailing absentee ballots for the runoff, which has an 11-day window. The Cobb Elections office was closed on Friday following Thanksgiving as it’s a county holiday.
On Sunday, Cobb County government sent a message saying Cobb Elections would cooperate with the state elections board investigation.
“Voting by absentee ballot has become increasingly popular, with Cobb County issuing more absentee ballots than any county in the state during the runoff,” the Cobb statement said. “Our office and other elections offices across the state face challenges created by this increased demand and the reduced timelines for absentee ballot processing and distribution mandated under SB202.
“The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration is committed to reviewing and updating our processes and procedures following the December 6 runoff and will incorporate any findings from state officials into our review and updates.”
Final voting in the U.S. Senate runoff is Tuesday, with the polls open at regular voting precincts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Absentee voters not affected by Friday’s consent order have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to return their ballots to the Cobb Elections Office at 995 Roswell Street.
They can also take their absentee ballot to their regular polling station and cancel it and vote in-person.
Related:
- Early voting surges in Cobb in U.S. Senate runoff
- Cobb Elections sued over absentee ballots in U.S. Senate runoff
- How East Cobb voted in U.S. Senate general election, governor’s race
- Cobb adds Saturday early voting for U.S. Senate runoff
- Recertified Cobb election results change outcome in Kennesaw race
- Cobb early voting schedule released for U.S. Senate runoff
- Two Democrats elected to open East Cobb legislative seats
- Mableton cityhood referendum passes after 3 others failed
- Birrell, Chastain re-elected in key Cobb races
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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