Cobb County voters can cast early ballots starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 13 locations countywide ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
Advance voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30, with weekday hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registered Cobb voters can use any of the county’s early voting sites, according to the Cobb County Board of Elections.
Two options for East Cobb voters are:
- East Cobb Government Service Center, 4400 Lower Roswell Road
- Tim D. Lee Senior Center, 3332 Sandy Plains Road
Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The East Cobb Government Service Center also opens Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and has an absentee ballot drop box. Tim D. Lee Senior Center does not offer Sunday voting.
State Election Board seeks federal intervention
Early voting begins amid a dispute over a Sept. 30 request from State Election Board Executive Director James Mills for federal involvement in Georgia’s elections.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Mills sought Justice Department review of voting equipment, ballot secrecy, election records and data sharing.
He asked for an end to QR-code vote tabulation, software updates before the November election and a six-month deadline to transition to a different voting system. Those are requested actions, not announced federal plans.
The request followed a Sept. 28 board resolution adopted 3-2. Chairman John Fervier, Gov. Brian Kemp’s appointee, and Democratic member Sara Tindall Ghazal voted against it.
Fervier said he has “a fundamental issue with the federal government becoming involved in Georgia elections,” according to Democracy Docket.
Lawmakers challenge the request
Five congressional Democrats sent an Oct. 6 letter challenging Mills’ request and urging the board to reassure voters about Georgia’s certified voting equipment.
The signers were Georgia Reps. Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, Everton Blair Jr. and Nikema Williams, along with New York Rep. Joseph Morelle, the ranking member of the House Administration Committee.
The lawmakers argued that Mills mischaracterized federal requirements and sought action beyond the Justice Department’s authority.
Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, has also raised concerns about potential federal involvement. Those concerns include possible polling-place monitoring or seizure of voting equipment; neither action has been announced in response to the letter.
Georgia will continue using its QR-code voting system for the November election. Legislation passed in June delayed the required change until 2028, according to the Associated Press.
Voting deadlines
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Early in-person voting ends Friday, Oct. 30.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters must use their assigned polling place. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Residents can check registration and sample ballots through the Georgia My Voter Page and find locations, hours and a wait-time map on Cobb County’s advance voting page.
