Georgia Election Board Extends Rules Governing Drop Boxes, Early Ballot Processing

Absentee ballot drop boxes will be used for the Jan. 5th runoff, under emergency rules extended by the State Election Board on Monday.

Emil Moffatt / WABE

Absentee ballot drop boxes, used for the first time in 2020 in Georgia, will be in place for the January runoff as well.

The State Election Board extended the emergency rule regarding drop boxes to cover the Jan. 5 runoff. It also extended the rule permitting counties to begin processing absentee ballots two weeks prior to Election Day, and actually mandated that counties begin doing so one week before the election.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says he hopes this will help reduce the backlog of absentee ballot processing that counties face on Election Day and the days after.