THIS IS WHAT VOTER SUPPRESSION LOOKS LIKE
‘Complete Meltdown’: Massive Voting Disruptions in Georgia Primary Lead to Claim Voter Suppression ‘Happening Again’
Long lines, polling stations that opened late, polling stations with no machines – or just one – which was broken, wrong machines being delivered, machines delivered to the wrong address, and only a few provisional ballots and no pens. These are just some of the problems being reported about voting in Georgia’s primary Tuesday morning.
“Georgia election officials, poll workers and voters reported major trouble with voting in Atlanta and elsewhere on Tuesday as the state’s primaries got underway, most critically a series of problems with new voting machines that forced many people across the state to wait in long lines and cast provisional ballots,” The New York Times reports.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is sounding the alarm.
@FultonInfo, voters in line at Ralph Bunche precinct, one of the largest in Atlanta, say NONE of the machines are working. Please address this ASAP. @marvinarrington @NatalieWHall @ChairRobbPitts
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) June 9, 2020
“Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann said it took her 2 hours and 40 minutes on Tuesday morning to vote at the Johns Creek Environmental Campus,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “She said she’d never seen a line so long — even for a presidential election.”
Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp was the Secretary of State when he won against Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018, amid massive complaints of voter suppression and election manipulation.
NBC News’ Blayne Alexander:
The issues started during Georgia’s early voting. One friend told me her family went to vote last Friday at a South Fulton precinct.
She said they didn’t cast their ballots until around 2am. #GAprimaries
— Blayne Alexander (@ReporterBlayne) June 9, 2020
At Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven, near Atlanta, precinct manager Jonathan Banes said: “We are having technical issues and we don’t have access to any provisional ballots. I can’t give anyone here an ETA on when they can vote.”
Machines not working at voting precincts all over inner-city Atlanta. Hundreds are remaining in line to wait but hundreds are also walking away. Democracy is walking away! @staceyabrams
— Ron Clark (@mrronclark_) June 9, 2020
Local CBS reporter: “no machines at some precincts.”
#BREAKING Gwinnett is reporting no machines at some precincts
Another report is no paper in the machine.
Just spoke to @GaSecofState office and they said some of Fulton delivered wrong equipment. Send us pictures of how things are going by you. #CBS46vote pic.twitter.com/0jXdcZ7S5B— Karyn Greer (@karyngreer) June 9, 2020
“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” said State Rep. William Boddie, who calls it a “complete meltdown.”
“We’re having issues throughout the county,” he added. “Did they not know this was going to be a voting day for months? Fulton County’s Board of Elections can’t be let off the hook this time. It’s inexcusable.”
Voting rights expert Ari Berman is one of many who are saying voter suppression is happening again in Georgia.
Big voting problems in Georgia today. Long lines, broken voting machines, not enough poll workers
After epidemic of voter suppression in 2018 it’s happening again https://t.co/VbslPoU1va
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) June 9, 2020
Pittman Park polling location didn’t open until 8:10am. The 1 machine they dedicated to this location is broken. This is what voter suppression looks like. #VoterSuppression #georgia #fultoncounty #atlanta #GAprimaries @wsbtv @staceyabrams @11AliveNews @fairfightaction pic.twitter.com/590Cqx7pID
— Thoma Slockwood (@thomas_lockwood) June 9, 2020
Local CBS reporter:
A voter at Metropolitan Library sent me this video while standing in line to vote. He’s been here since 7am & says the line hasn’t moved at all. This is due to all the machines being down & the election manager forgetting the ballot box. The line now goes around 2 corners. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/6Gh45UcOXS
— Melissa Stern (@MelissaStern) June 9, 2020
One voter at Central Park Recreation Center told the AJC poll workers had been calling for help since 5 AM.
At 8:45 AM the AJC reports “140 voters at Central Park Recreation Center were being told they’ll have to vote with paper provisional ballots because voting machines weren’t working.”
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