Cobb County is offering a “last call” absentee ballot return option in person at libraries throughout the county on Saturday, Nov. 5, and Monday, Nov. 7 for those who have not yet cast their absentee ballot.
Typically, absentee voters must mail or turn in their ballots at the main elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or at an early voting location. But during this election, after early voting ends on Nov. 4, absentee voters will have another option to bring their ballots to one of seven Cobb libraries for immediate processing, instead of going to the main elections office.
Voters will have more convenient access to turn in their absentee ballots, and deputy registrars will be able to validate and accept the ballots as they come in, saving election workers another step in the process ahead of Election Day, said elections board member Jennifer Mosbacher.
“I think that this will really help them in terms of processing the ballots, as well as giving voters an extra opportunity to have their ballots accepted,” Mosbacher said.
Of the more than 30,000 absentee ballots issued in Cobb, about half have been accepted, and 360 have been rejected, according to data from the Secretary of State’s office. Rejected ballots can be corrected until three days after Election Day.
Cobb County piloted the “last call” ballot return program back in October 2021 with three open libraries, and Mosbacher said it was a huge success.
“So many people pass by the libraries, and people know where they are. So it was super easy for people to return their ballots,” she said.
The seven libraries accepting absentee ballots in person on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. will be the East Cobb, Mountain View, North Cobb, Powder Springs, South Cobb, Switzer, and Vinings locations.
Voters can still turn in their absentee ballots at the main elections office in Marietta until 7 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 8.
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