Georgia Voters Report Broken Equipment, Long Lines, and Other Issues on Primary Day

Many voters have experienced a number of issues while trying to vote in the state's primary, though voters shouldn't let that deter them from sticking it out.

June 9, 2020

Many voters in Georgia, one of several states holding primaries on Tuesday, have reported a multitude of problems with a process you would certainly think could have been perfected by now.

In the Atlanta area, for example, multiple reports of out-of-service voting machines have rolled in throughout the day, only adding to what was already going to be an especially patience-requiring experience thanks to the fact that voting is occurring during a global pandemic.

On-the-ground reports form GA also point to issues involving long lines, confusion regarding new processes, poll workers being unable to adequately operate new machines, and problems receiving absentee ballots:

A continuously updated rundown of voting problems in Georgia from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds even more details. Anderson-Livsey Elementary School, for example, experienced a 47-minute delay Tuesday morning thanks to machine issues. And at Cross Keys High School, voters reported machines that weren't working as well as a shortage of provisional ballots. A precinct manager who attempted to "troubleshoot the equipment" said his PIN number, required for doing so, wasn't working. Voters, however, showed resilience despite waiting in line for hours.

If you're in line in Georgia or any of the states voting on Tuesday, hold your place. As long as you're in line by the time polls close, you're allowed to cast a vote.

Voter suppression, of course, remains a top concern in 2020. While young voters are routinely disparaged in news coverage and/or by party leaders as being apathetic regarding the election process, that's an unfair and opportunistic oversimplification of the ongoing problem of targeted suppression tactics.

Not sure if you're all set to vote in your state? Check your info here.