East Cobb-area voters can return absentee ballots at Gritters Library during advance voting for the Nov. 3 general election.

The library, at 880 Shaw Park Road, is among six Cobb County advance-voting locations with ballot drop boxes, according to the county’s voting schedule. Milford Recreation Center remains an early voting site but does not have a drop box.

The East Cobb Government Service Center, at 4400 Lower Roswell Road, also offers a drop box and Sunday voting.

When to use the drop boxes

Advance voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Weekday hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gritters Library does not offer Sunday voting. The East Cobb Government Service Center is open Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Drop boxes are available during advance-voting hours. Voters should plan to use them by Oct. 30 rather than wait until Election Day.

Registered Cobb voters can cast an early ballot at any of the county’s 13 advance-voting sites. On Election Day, they must vote at their assigned polling location.

Postal restrictions blocked for this election

Cobb’s elections board was scheduled to discuss using a third-party service to deliver absentee ballots as an alternative to USPS at its Sept. 14 meeting, according to CBS Atlanta’s meeting preview.

Later that day, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a lower court injunction blocking new USPS ballot-mail restrictions. The proposed rules included voter-list submissions and new ballot-envelope requirements.

The Sept. 14 court order prevented those restrictions from taking effect for the November election. It did not resolve their legality for future elections.

Absentee ballot deadlines

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Cobb Elections must receive completed ballots by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the county’s absentee voting page.

In addition to using a drop box during advance voting, voters can mail their ballot or return it in person to the elections office at 995 Roswell St. NE in Marietta. The office lists additional ballot-return hours on Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

The elections board’s next regular and certification meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta.