ATLANTA _ A federal appeals court ruled Friday against extending the deadline for Georgia voters to return their absentee ballots.
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided 2-1 to grant a stay of a judge's ruling that would have allowed voters three more days to return their absentee ballots.
The decision reinstates Georgia's deadline at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Election Day for absentee ballots to be received by county election offices.
"We are glad the 11th Circuit recognized that long-standing Georgia law should remain in place for this election," said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. "Georgia's election officials have made it easier than ever for voters to meet that deadline by implementing online absentee ballot requests to streamline the request process and secure drop boxes to allow contactless return of absentee ballots."
The appellate court invalidated U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross' ruling on Aug. 31 that absentee ballots should be accepted if they were postmarked by Election Day and received within three days afterward.
Ross had decided that the later deadline was justified because of the coronavirus pandemic.
