Overview
- Civil rights groups filed emergency lawsuits after thousands of voters in Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb reported not receiving requested absentee ballots, a problem flagged by county officials on Monday.
- Officials have blamed a third-party out-of-state vendor, identified in coverage as Fort Orange Press, for printing and delivery delays that left some ballots issued in early to mid‑October undelivered.
- Gwinnett and DeKalb reached agreements with the Southern Poverty Law Center to contact affected voters and mail overnight replacements with the county paying return postage while Cobb is offering priority express replacements with prepaid envelopes.
- The litigation remains pending but county notices and overnight mailings aim to preserve voters’ options because Georgia law requires absentee ballots to be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day and voters may still cast in-person ballots after signing an attestation they will not vote twice.
- The delays matter statewide because the suburban counties involved can swing close races, and the episode highlights growing reliance on private vendors for ballot printing and the risk that last‑minute delivery failures can trigger urgent court action and voter confusion.