A federal judge in Atlanta late Wednesday handed down an emergency injunction ordering that absentee ballots rejected throughout the state because of an inaccurate or missing birth date be validated and tallied.

“Without a preliminary injunction, the voters whose ballots have been rejected on improper grounds or without a chance to cure the rejection will lose their opportunity to vote in this election; an injury that money cannot compensate,” U.S. District Judge Steve Jones said in issuing the emergency ruling.