Georgia Supreme Court Blocks Counting of 3,000 Cobb County Absentee Ballots Received After Election Day

Nov 4, 2024, 08:50 PM

The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed lawsuits against several Georgia counties, including Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and Gwinnett, alleging they accepted absentee ballots over the weekend without allowing Republican poll watchers to observe the process. The lawsuits contended that counties opening election offices over the weekend to accept hand-delivered absentee ballots violated state law, and that the Georgia Secretary of State was not informed of these actions. Initially, a Georgia judge rejected the Republican efforts to block counties from accepting these ballots. However, on November 4, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed the lower court's decision, ruling that absentee ballots received after Election Day cannot be counted. This ruling, handed down on the eve of Election Day, affects approximately 3,000 absentee ballots in Cobb County that were sent out shortly before Election Day. The decision was seen as a significant election integrity victory by the RNC and the Georgia Republican Party. Three justices dissented in the ruling.