The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Georgia Republican Party have filed a lawsuit against seven Democratic-leaning Georgia counties, accusing them of violating state law by allowing hand-returned absentee ballots to be delivered after the early voting cutoff. The lawsuit, submitted Sunday in federal court, targets Athens-Clarke, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties for accepting ballots over the weekend and into Monday, following the end of early voting last Friday.
Allegations of State Law Violations
The GOP plaintiffs argue that the counties disregarded Georgia’s statutory cutoff for early voting by keeping their offices open to accept in-person absentee ballots beyond the official deadline. According to Georgia law, absentee ballots — with the exception of those from overseas or military voters — must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The Republicans claim that by extending ballot return hours, the counties provided an unauthorized extension, undermining the state’s election process.
