Delayed Absentee Ballots Hit Cobb Voters

MARIETTA, GA — With Election Day looming, election officials say some absentee ballots in Cobb County have been delayed due to a vendor.

Absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. Tuesday in Georgia to be counted in the 2026 general election, which will determine the state's next governor.

In Cobb County, election officials say a limited number of voters who requested absentee ballots may see a holdup in receiving them.

This is due to circumstances linked to Fort Orange Press, the county's absentee ballot third-party vendor, the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration said.

Ballots that were issued between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 are primarily being impacted, officials said.

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They added they are offering affected voters the chance to request new absentee ballots that can be mailed through priority express with a prepaid return priority express envelope.

Impacted voters must contact the elections board (770-528-2581) to report their undelivered ballots.

After receiving the necessary information from the voters, staff will confirm the delayed ballots, and voters will ultimately sign affidavits to cancel the initial ballots.

Relatives of voters may not cancel the original ballots; only the voters can do so, officials said.

The BOER will then immediately overnight new absentee ballots with the prepaid envelopes to voters who are determined to have been affected by the delay, officials said.

An extension will not be given for receiving the ballots on Election Day, officials said. The ballots must be returned to the Cobb County Elections Office (995 Roswell St. NE in Marietta) by 7 p.m.

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The BOE said it will not send ballots to voters who meets the following criteria:

• The person is already in possession of their originally issued absentee ballot as of Wednesday, Oct. 28, whether it has been returned or not;
• The person has already voted by other means; or
• The person has already canceled their originally issued absentee ballot.

Early voting will run until Friday for the general election.

Then, voters will head to the polls on Election Day to determine a handful of key races, including gubernatorial and U.S. Senate.