Georgia Gwinnett County Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Challenge

An anti-voting lawsuit challenging Gwinnett County, Georgia’s absentee ballot drop-off policy.

Background

The Republican National Committee, Gwinnett County Republican Party and Georgia secretary of state candidate Tim Fleming sued members of the Gwinnett County Board of Registrations and Elections. The plaintiffs challenge a county policy that allows voters to return absentee ballots to poll workers at advance voting or alternate locations, arguing that the policy unlawfully creates additional ballot drop-off locations beyond those allowed under Georgia law. They ask the court to block Gwinnett County from using the policy.

Why It Matters

This lawsuit is part of a broader Republican effort to enforce and expand restrictive interpretations of Georgia’s extreme 2021 anti-voting law, Senate Bill 202.

If successful, it could limit how counties help voters return absentee ballots, especially in large counties where voters may benefit from more accessible return options. The case could also encourage similar challenges to local election policies that expand ballot access.

Latest Updates

• Oct. 7, 2026: The court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss and denied plaintiffs’ motion for an interlocutory injunction.
• Sept. 28, 2026: Hearing scheduled.
• Sept. 24, 2026: The DSCC and Jon Ossoff campaign filed a motion to dismiss.
• Sept. 21, 2026: The court granted the DSCC and Jon Ossoff campaign’s motion to intervene as defendants.
• Aug. 7, 2026: The court granted a motion to drop the Georgia Republican Party as a plaintiff. Plaintiffs filed an emergency motion for an interlocutory injunction to block the policy.
• June 29, 2026: The DSCC and the Jon Ossoff campaign filed a motion to intervene as defendants.
• June 18, 2026: Plaintiffs filed their petition.