COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Supreme Court ruled late Monday that the extension granted by Cobb County that could impact thousands of mail-in voters has been reversed.
The ruling from the court reversed a lower judge’s ruling that had granted 3,000 voters an extension of the mail-in-ballot deadline after Cobb County election officials admitted they missed the deadline to ship them out. The deadline for mail-in ballots to be received in Georgia is election day — but the lower judge had given those voters an extension for them to be postmarked by election day and received by Nov. 8, the same deadline for overseas ballots.
The Republican National Committee appealed the ruling, saying it was a violation of the election code and that voters still had other ways they could vote, including in person.
In a statement from RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, he said:
“HUGE election integrity victory in Georgia. Democrat-run Cobb County wanted to accept 3,000 absentee ballots AFTER the Election Day deadline. We took this case to the Georgia Supreme Court. We just got word that we WON the case. Election Day is Election Day — not the week after. We will keep fighting, keep winning, and keep sharing updates.”
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The American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center also released a statement, saying:
“Because of this ruling, we urge all affected voters to prioritize voting in person on Election Day, November 5, 2024, if at all possible. If a voter has their absentee ballot but cannot vote in person on Election Day, they should hand deliver that ballot to their county elections office as soon as possible. If neither is an option, we urge voters to immediately send their ballot back to the county via overnight delivery, if possible. Only as a last resort, should voters simply mail their ballots. Unfortunately, there are voters who will not be able to access the remaining options and will not have their voices heard in this election as a result of this ruling.”
“The Cobb County Board of Elections is aware of and will comply with the Georgia Supreme Court’s order granting a stay,” Board of Elections and Registration Chairwoman Tori Silas said. “However, because the order only addressed to the motion for a stay, we will anticipate the Supreme Court’s final ruling to see whether it ultimately allows these voters additional time to return their ballots or whether we must only count those received by the close of polls on Tuesday.”
The Georgia Supreme Court ordered the Cobb board to “keep separate” the absentee ballots of those voters that are received after the deadline on election day but before Nov. 8 “in a secure, safe, and sealed container separate from other voted ballots.
The court also ordered the board to notify the voters by email, text, or public announcement of the change.
At this point, all votes will need to be in by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
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