Georgia's highest court on Monday ruled that thousands of Cobb County voters who received their ballots late will not have their votes immediately counted if their ballots are received by officials after Election Day, a decision that sided with national Republicans.

The Georgia Supreme Court said that those ballots, which Cobb County officials admitted they failed to ship out on time, must be set aside pending further litigation if they aren't returned by Tuesday at 7 p.m., the deadline under existing state law and the time polls close in the state.

A Cobb County judge previously extended the deadline until 5 p.m. on Friday — the same receipt deadline for uniformed and overseas voters — as long as the ballots were........

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