ATLANTA — In a recent development regarding absentee voting in Georgia’s third-largest county, officials have confirmed that certain voters who received their ballots late will still have their votes counted, provided their ballots are postmarked by Election Day and arrive by Friday.

Cobb County, located just north of Atlanta, experienced delays in mailing absentee ballots to about 3,400 voters who requested them, as they did not send them out until late last week. According to state law, absentee ballots typically need to be received by the close of the polls on Election Day. However, a lower court judge determined that these particular ballots could be counted if they arrived by Friday, which is three days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday.

In a subsequent order issued on Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court placed a hold on that lower court’s decision, directing county election officials to inform the affected voters that their ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day itself. The very next day, which followed the elections, the court inquired whether the involved parties wished to continue with the appeal process.

Both the Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party previously appealed the lower court ruling and decided to ask to withdraw their appeal. The Georgia Supreme Court acknowledged this request and lifted the stay, thereby reinstating the lower court’s ruling.

Consequently, ballots from the voters in question will be counted in the official election outcomes, as long as they are postmarked by Tuesday and received by 5 p.m. on Friday. This decision ensures that those who faced delays in receiving their absentee ballots can still have their voices heard during the election.