Cobb County sends replacement absentee ballots after mailing delay

One of Georgia’s largest counties was forced to overnight replacement absentee ballots after a vendor delayed mailing them last week.

A lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of nearly 2,900 Cobb County voters whose absentee ballots they requested never arrived. According to the county, Fort Orange Press delayed mailing ballots marked as issued between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15.

Lori Ringhand, a professor of law at the University of Georgia, said the county must act promptly to comply with state law.

“Under state law, if they put a timely request in to receive an absentee ballot, and by all accounts they did that, the voters met their obligation, state law does require the county elections board to promptly issue or mail those ballots,” Ringhand said.

Ballots will not be resent to voters who received their original, voted by other means or canceled their request. If voters requested a ballot between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 and still have not received it, they need to contact Cobb County Elections by phone or email at abm@cobbcounty.gov to report the ballot was not delivered. They also must sign a cancellation affidavit.

Ringhand said for those who have not received their ballots, the most reliable option is to vote in person if people are able.

“In many cases, if the voter is able, they can simply come to an early voting location and cast their ballot and have the election officials cancel out the absentee ballot so then no one can vote that absentee ballot,” Ringhand said.

Election Day is tomorrow, Nov. 3, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All absentee ballots must be delivered to the elections office before polls close on Election Day, with a few exceptions depending on circumstances.