Fulton county workers process absentee ballots at ahead of the U.S, presidential election, in Atlanta

Georgia judge slams Republican lawsuit over hand-delivered absentee ballots as ‘frivolous’

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.

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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.