By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/georgia-judge-slams-republican-lawsuit-over-hand-delivered-absentee-ballots-as-frivolous Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Georgia judge slams Republican lawsuit over hand-delivered absentee ballots as ‘frivolous’ Politics Nov 5, 2024 7:22 PM EDT A federal judge Tuesday scolded Republican Party attorneys for what he called a “frivolous” lawsuit that accused election officials in seven Georgia counties of breaking the law by letting voters hand-deliver their absentee ballots over the weekend. An attorney for the Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party told U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker he wasn’t trying to stop the 1,300 ballots from being counted but wanted them kept separate from other ballots. LIVE RESULTS: Georgia election 2024 The groups previously indicated they wanted the ballots as potential evidence for future litigation. The GOP lawyers argued it was illegal for county election officials to accept mail ballots dropped off in person after early voting ended Friday. Baker said Georgia law clearly states that county election officials are required to accept absentee ballots until the polls close on Election Day. Hours at Georgia polling places extended following bomb threats Voting hours have been extended at five polling places in Georgia’s Fulton County that were briefly closed earlier in the day because of bomb threats that were determined to be noncredible. READ MORE: FBI says bomb threats to several states are non-credible, sent from Russian domains Each voting location’s hours have been extended for as long as they were closed. The extensions range from 10 minutes at one location to 45 minutes at two locations. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Find more of our Vote 2024 coverage INTERACTIVE: 2024 Electoral College Map SERIES: A look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ campaign pledges READ MORE: Don’t fall for these false claims as you await the 2024 election results WATCH: Pivotal races that will determine the balance of power in Congress READ MORE: When polls close on Election Day in these 7 battleground states WATCH: What early voting data signals about this year’s election LIVE BLOG: Election 2024 fact checks WATCH: How election workers are fighting back against bad actors trying to undermine the process We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
A federal judge Tuesday scolded Republican Party attorneys for what he called a “frivolous” lawsuit that accused election officials in seven Georgia counties of breaking the law by letting voters hand-deliver their absentee ballots over the weekend. An attorney for the Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party told U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker he wasn’t trying to stop the 1,300 ballots from being counted but wanted them kept separate from other ballots. LIVE RESULTS: Georgia election 2024 The groups previously indicated they wanted the ballots as potential evidence for future litigation. The GOP lawyers argued it was illegal for county election officials to accept mail ballots dropped off in person after early voting ended Friday. Baker said Georgia law clearly states that county election officials are required to accept absentee ballots until the polls close on Election Day. Hours at Georgia polling places extended following bomb threats Voting hours have been extended at five polling places in Georgia’s Fulton County that were briefly closed earlier in the day because of bomb threats that were determined to be noncredible. READ MORE: FBI says bomb threats to several states are non-credible, sent from Russian domains Each voting location’s hours have been extended for as long as they were closed. The extensions range from 10 minutes at one location to 45 minutes at two locations. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Find more of our Vote 2024 coverage INTERACTIVE: 2024 Electoral College Map SERIES: A look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ campaign pledges READ MORE: Don’t fall for these false claims as you await the 2024 election results WATCH: Pivotal races that will determine the balance of power in Congress READ MORE: When polls close on Election Day in these 7 battleground states WATCH: What early voting data signals about this year’s election LIVE BLOG: Election 2024 fact checks WATCH: How election workers are fighting back against bad actors trying to undermine the process We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now