How Fast Can Absentee Ballots Be Counted in November? Two Metro Atlanta Counties’ Answers Differ

Fulton County says it should be mostly done counting absentee ballots the day after Election Day in November, but DeKalb County says it may take a week.

Emil Moffatt/WABE

Two weeks before the Nov. 3 election, workers in Fulton County will spread out at State Farm Arena to start opening envelopes, verifying signatures and processing absentee ballots. They’ll be scanned initially, but not added up until Election Day.

Fulton elections director Richard Barron says that if all goes according to plan, this should allow the county to be mostly done counting one day later.

“We’ll have about 5% to still scan the day after Election Day,” said Barron.