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Why have some absentee ballot deliveries been delayed in Georgia?

More than 130,000 absentee ballots have been accepted, out of more than 300,000 requests so far.

MACON, Ga. — Wednesday marks 13 days from election day, and nearly 2 million voters have already cast their ballots in Georgia.

More than 130,000 absentee ballots have been accepted, out of more than 300,000 requests.

That means some people are still waiting to receive their absentee ballots.

Karen and Richard Rutkoski have been voting since the seventies, and they agree this election is more important than ever.

For the past few years, they've opted to submit their votes by absentee ballot, but this time around, they're still waiting to do so. 

"That's the first time I'd had any problem," Richard said. "We don't have them yet, so we're supposed to have them, that's all I know."

Karen reached out to the Board of Elections and her mail carrier for more insight.

"It was mailed on Oct. 10. It's already the 23rd, so that's a long time for mail," Karen said. "We haven't had personally any mail issues."

Bibb County Board of Elections Supervisor Thomas Gillon says they're seeing an average of 3,000 in-person voters a day.

He says they have also received several calls about missing ballots.

"We get the applications in, we process them and we have a company that mails them out for us," Gillon said. "Some people have gotten their's while some are still waiting."

Gillon says voters have a few options if they are concerned about the delay.

 People can call the Board of Elections to request a ballot to be reissued or vote early in person or on election day.

The Bibb Board of Elections opened up the Macon Courthouse Annex exclusively for voters 75 and older, as well as those who are handicapped or have disabilities.

"I hope that the ballot will get to them with plenty of time, it doesn't have to be returned in the mail," Gillon said. "They can have a family member bring it back to our office here at the mall and deliver it."

But for families like the Rutkoski's, it's not that simple. Richard suffers from congestive heart failure. 

"Some people do not have the energy to get dressed, take a shower do everything you need to do to go vote, and they want their voices heard like everyone else," Karen said. "Hopefully we will have it by the end of the week, and that's what the board of elections has told me as well." 

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