• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
PoliticsU.S. Presidential Election

Last-minute flights and hours in the car—Absentee ballot delays ignite drastic measures

Alicia Adamczyk
By
Alicia Adamczyk
Alicia Adamczyk
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alicia Adamczyk
By
Alicia Adamczyk
Alicia Adamczyk
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 5, 2024, 7:50 PM ET
Voters report booking last-minute trips to cast ballots in person.
Voters report booking last-minute trips to cast ballots in person.Rebecca Droke/Getty

Tens of millions of Americans successfully voted early by mail for Tuesday’s presidential election. But others faced delays that had them booking last minute flights or road-tripping across multiple states to cast their ballots.

Recommended Video

Videos across social media sites depict the lengths that some voters say they went to to vote after their absentee ballots were delayed. Last-minute flights were booked, while others said they had to drive hours to make it to the state they were registered to vote in in time to cast a ballot in person.

Many of the videos were made by voters registered in Georgia, a swing state in which the state supreme court overturned a lower court decision to allow absentee ballots to be received through Friday. The lower court granted the extension for more than 3,000 voters in Cobb County who requested an absentee ballot but did not receive it in time.

The Southern Poverty Law Center confirmed to Fortune that it has “received multiple reports from voters who were making alternate plans after yesterday’s Georgia Supreme Court ruling.” The Cobb County Communications Department said it has a “good stream of voters come in, but we aren’t asking how they got here!”

Dropping off a ballot on Election Day

“We’re catching planes, trains and driving through the night to get our votes in by any means necessary,” wrote one voter on TikTok.

Another woman said she paid $500 to fly to Atlanta and cast her ballot. “It’s absolutely infuriating to know that thousands of others aren’t able to exercise their right for whatever callous reason,” she said.

But voters aren’t just traveling to Georgia to make sure their ballots are cast. Lexi Harder, 30, told the New York Times she paid more than $1,100 for a round-trip flight from Berlin in order to vote in Montgomery County, Pa. Harder said she traveled 15 hours after her completed absentee ballot was returned to her.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Author
Alicia Adamczyk
By Alicia AdamczykSenior Writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Alicia Adamczyk is a former New York City-based senior writer at Fortune, covering personal finance, investing, and retirement.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation doubles down on foreign aid as U.S. government largely withdraws
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Top AI leaders are begging people not to use Moltbook, a social media platform for AI agents: It’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Politics

Texas A&M
LawEducation
Texas A&M professor who was fired for teaching gender studies sues on freedom of speech grounds
By Juan A. Lozano and The Associated PressFebruary 5, 2026
23 minutes ago
bessent
BankingCongress
Scott Bessent trolls Democrats during testimony, implying their questions are unserious and stupid
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressFebruary 5, 2026
26 minutes ago
sam wolf
Commentaryactivist investing
Activist investors are more dangerous to CEOs than ever. Here are 3 ways to safeguard your leadership
By Sam WolfFebruary 5, 2026
29 minutes ago
Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts
LawThe Boring Company
Key Nevada legislator says lawmakers will push for independent audit of altered public record in Nevada OSHA’s Boring Company inspection 
By Jessica MathewsFebruary 4, 2026
11 hours ago
ICE
PoliticsDonald Trump
From ‘Operation Dirtbag’ to ‘Catch of the Day,’ Trump’s ICE nicknames ripped as ‘disgusting’ and ‘subhuman’
By Matt Brown, Terry Tang and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
16 hours ago
bessent
EconomyTariffs and trade
Scott Bessent’s ‘gotcha’ moment on Trump’s tariffs and inflation: He denies writing ‘tariffs are inflationary’ in letter to hedge fund investors
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago