Georgia Counties Work to Address Missing Absentee Ballots
Officials in Cobb and Gwinnett counties are working to reach voters whose requested absentee ballots have not arrived, as Election Day approaches on November 3. Lawsuits filed in the past week alleged that nearly 5,000 voters across the two counties had not received their ballots. One filing put the number in Cobb at about 2,900.
Cobb County has acknowledged delays affecting some voters and attributed them to its ballot vendor, Fort Orange Press. The county said ballots issued between October 7 and 15 were affected by delays. It agreed to send missing ballots to affected voters by overnight delivery following a lawsuit that has since been dropped.
Isaiah Swann, a Cobb County voter who is a medical student in Virginia, said he requested a ballot on October 22 and received confirmation it was issued on October 26. When it had not arrived by November 2, he called the county elections department. He said he had encountered a similar problem after applying for an absentee ballot in 2024.
The county said its records showed Swann’s ballot had been issued and that, once mailed, delivery is handled by the U.S. Postal Service. It said he could vote in person if the ballot did not arrive, with the elections office helping cancel the mailed ballot. Swann said doing so could require an eight-hour-plus drive and disrupt his medical and laboratory duties.
The Postal Service said various factors can affect how quickly a ballot is returned. Swann said he was still deciding what to do.
Absentee Ballot Delays Put Georgia Voters’ Access at Risk
With Election Day only a day away, absentee voters in two Georgia counties are facing uncertainty over whether their ballots will arrive in time. Lawsuits filed in the past week alleged that nearly 5,000 voters in Cobb and Gwinnett counties had not received ballots they requested, including about 2,900 in Cobb.
Cobb County has acknowledged delays affecting some voters and blamed its ballot vendor, Fort Orange Press. It agreed to overnight missing ballots to affected voters after a lawsuit that has since been dropped. The county said delays involved ballots issued between October 7 and 15.
The problem is not just a count in a court filing for Isaiah Swann, a Cobb voter studying medicine in Virginia. He said he requested a ballot on October 22, it was issued on October 26, and it still had not arrived by November 2. Swann said he had also applied for an absentee ballot in 2024 without receiving it.
The county says Swann can vote in person and that staff can help cancel his mailed ballot. But he said that option could mean an eight-hour-plus drive and disruption to his hospital and laboratory duties. The Postal Service said a range of factors can affect ballot delivery times.
The immediate issue is whether voters who followed the process can cast their ballots without a last-minute trip. Swann said he was still trying to decide what to do.
Georgia Ballot Delays Leave Voters Facing Last-Minute Choices
Georgia’s absentee-ballot problems have left voters with little time to respond before Election Day. Lawsuits filed in the past week alleged nearly 5,000 voters in Cobb and Gwinnett counties had not received requested ballots; about 2,900 were said to be in Cobb.
Cobb County has pointed to its ballot vendor, Fort Orange Press, and said delays involved ballots issued between October 7 and 15. The county agreed to overnight missing ballots to affected voters after a lawsuit that has since been dropped. Officials are also working to contact voters who have not received ballots.
For Isaiah Swann, a Cobb County voter and medical student in Virginia, an in-person vote may require an eight-hour-plus drive. He said he requested a ballot on October 22, received confirmation it was issued on October 26, and still had not received it by November 2. He also said a ballot he applied for in 2024 never arrived.
The county says that if Swann’s ballot has not arrived, he can vote in person and the elections office can assist with cancellation procedures. Once a ballot is mailed, the county says, delivery is handled by the Postal Service, which cited multiple possible factors in return delays.
Swann said an unexpected trip could disrupt his hospital and laboratory responsibilities. With Election Day imminent, the county’s in-person alternative leaves him to weigh voting against a difficult last-minute schedule change.
Reported by The Washington Examiner, Atlanta News First.
