East Cobb voters can request absentee ballots as usual for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a federal rule that would have restricted mail ballot delivery.

The court voted 7-2 on Sept. 14 to uphold an injunction preventing new U.S. Postal Service rules from taking effect before the election, as the Cobb County Courier reported. The rules, published Aug. 26, would have required states to submit voter rolls to the federal government and directed the USPS not to deliver mail ballots to voters who did not match federal citizenship data.

The majority wrote that the federal government "is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge." Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, filed an amicus brief urging the court to block the rule, arguing it would be impossible to implement so close to the election, according to the Georgia Recorder. Georgia election officials told the Georgia Recorder that nothing has functionally changed about the state's absentee voting process.

Georgia is a no-excuse absentee state, meaning any registered voter can request a mail ballot for any reason. The state does not send them automatically. Voters must complete an application through the Georgia Secretary of State's website, then sign and mail, fax, email or drop it off at their county elections office.

The voter registration deadline for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5.

The absentee ballot application deadline is Oct. 23. The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration accepts applications by email at [email protected], by fax at 770-528-2458, or by mail and in person at 995 Roswell St. NE, Marietta, GA 30060.

Blake Evans, Georgia's state elections director, urged voters not to wait. "The main thing I would say is, if you do want to vote by mail, go ahead and get your request in now," Evans told the Georgia Recorder. "That way, you'll get your ballot in plenty of time."

Completed ballots must arrive at the elections office or a county drop box by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Georgia does not accept ballots postmarked by Election Day. Ballots must be signed and include the voter's driver's license number or a copy of another photo ID.

The Cobb County Board of Elections voted Aug. 10 to accept hand-delivered absentee ballots at its main office on Saturday, Oct. 31 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Sunday, Nov. 1 (noon to 5 p.m.) and Monday, Nov. 2 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

The East Cobb Government Service Center at 4400 Lower Roswell Rd. is an early voting location with a drop box and Sunday voting hours, according to a Cobb County elections flyer. Early in-person voting runs Oct. 13 through Oct. 30, with weekday hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25.

Voters who mail a ballot but do not see it counted can have election workers cancel the absentee ballot at their polling place on Election Day and vote in person instead. Voters can track their ballot status through the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov.

The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration meets next on Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. at 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.