A federal judge on Monday extended the deadline for absentee ballots in Georgia, ruling that they must be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day. U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ruled that voters must be protected amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, allowing ballots that are delivered up to three days after the election to still count as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 9. While the decision will allow tens of thousands of ballots to be counted for the election, it will also slow down the process significantly. “Extending the deadline would ensure that voters who receive their ballots shortly before Election Day are able to mail their ballots without fear that their vote will not count,” Ross wrote in her 70-page order.