Ballot-fix deadline is 5 p.m. Friday; Cobb sets public audits for Nov. 13, 16 and 17

Voters whose provisional or absentee ballots have certain problems have until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, to turn in the paperwork needed to fix them. Cobb County Elections & Registration set out that deadline in a news release dated Thursday, Nov. 5. Fixing a ballot this way is called "curing" it.

The release also gives the schedule for after certification. Cobb will run a risk-limiting audit and an enhanced audit on Nov. 13, 16 and 17. Both audits are open to the public.

Why it matters in Mableton

Results are still unofficial in the referendum on Mableton's "Redevelopment Powers Law." The Georgia Secretary of State's results page, as of 11:03 p.m. on Nov. 3, showed No with 14,933 votes (52.0%) and Yes with 13,796 (48.0%). That is a gap of 1,137 votes. The same page showed the County Commission District 3 race even closer: Kevin Redmon had 48,712 votes and JoAnn K. Birrell had 48,163, a gap of 549. Both sets of totals are from election night and may have been updated since.

The county release warns that vote totals "may change as eligible ballots are counted, and election records are verified." It adds that changes to unofficial results "do not necessarily indicate a problem." Ballots from military and overseas voters may also arrive after Election Day if they meet Georgia's legal requirements.

What voters can do

Voters who mailed an absentee ballot can check its status on Georgia's My Voter Page. The county says voters who cast a provisional ballot, or who need help fixing a ballot problem, should contact Cobb County Elections & Registration.

What comes next

• Friday, Nov. 6, 3 p.m.: The Board of Elections and Registration holds its pre-certification meeting at the Elections & Registration Office, 995 Roswell Street NE, Marietta. The board will review the election returns and the canvass, the official count and check of ballots.
• Monday, Nov. 9, 3 p.m.: The board meets to certify results in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta. State law requires counties to certify by 5 p.m. on the Monday after Election Day.
• Nov. 13, 16 and 17: The audits. In the risk-limiting audit, workers count randomly chosen paper ballots by hand and compare them with the reported totals. In the enhanced audit, independent software reads digital images of the ballots and compares them with the original count.
• Friday, Nov. 20: Deadline for the state to certify results.

What we don't know yet

The release does not say how many ballots still need fixing or are still outstanding. It also does not say where the audits will be held or when observers can attend. The county says it will post those details on its website and social media, and at the Elections & Registration Office.