Cobb absentee ballots delayed in the mail: What we know

Some Cobb County voters who asked to receive their ballots by mail may not have gotten them yet, and the county is now offering to overnight replacement ballots to those affected.

What’s happening: The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration says a vendor it hired to mail absentee ballots, Fort Orange Press, caused delivery delays for a limited number of voters. The problem primarily affects voters whose ballots were sent out between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15.

Who qualifies for a replacement: Voters can check whether their ballot shows as “issued” during that window in the Georgia Secretary of State’s voter information system. Only voters who have not yet received their original ballot, have not already voted by another method, and have not already canceled their original ballot request are eligible for a replacement.

What to do: Affected voters must contact the Cobb Elections Department directly — a family member cannot make the request on someone else’s behalf. Voters can call 770-528-2581 or email abm@cobbcounty.gov. Staff will ask for enough information to confirm the voter is among those affected.

The paperwork: To get a replacement ballot, a voter must sign an affidavit canceling their original ballot. Again, only the voter can sign this — not a relative. The affidavit is available at https://assets.cobbcounty.gov/files/2020-05/CobbAffidavitOfCancelAbsenteeBallot.pdf.

What happens next: Once the county confirms a voter is affected and the affidavit is signed, it will overnight two items: a new absentee ballot and a prepaid Priority Express return envelope, both sent by USPS Priority Express Mail.

The deadline: There is no extension. All ballots must be in the Cobb County Elections Office by 7 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, to be counted.