A Cobb County judge has ordered county election officials to overnight mail delayed absentee ballots and include the express return.
The judge also ruled that the ballots must be counted if received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 8.
The ruling follows an emergency lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Georgia and Southern Poverty Law Center filed after Cobb officials admitted they failed to send more than 3,000 absentee ballots on time. According to the grounds, state law mandates ballots be mailed within three days of application processing.
On Thursday, Cobb Elections officials said they are working with postal and delivery companies to expedite sending ballots to voters and ensure their timely return following a surge of last-minute absentee ballot applications.