A judge in a key battleground state has ruled that county election officials must certify results by the legal deadline even if they suspect fraud or mistakes.

Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney of Fulton County, Georgia, ruled that "no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance." 

While they have the right to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, McBurney wrote, "any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so."

Election results must be certified by Georgia's individual counties by 5 p.m. the Monday or Tuesday after the race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.