Georgia high court says absentee ballots must be returned by Election Day, even in county with delay

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s highest court has stayed a lower court ruling that would have allowed certain voters in the state’s third-largest county who received their absentee ballots late to return them after the deadline. That means the affected Cobb County residents must vote in person on Election Day, which is Tuesday, or get their absentee ballots to the county elections office by 7 p.m. that day. Cobb County failed to mail out absentee ballots to some voters who had requested them until late last week. A judge had ruled last week that those ballots could be counted if they’re received by Friday, three days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday.