Georgia Voting Problems Cause Outrage During the 2020 Presidential Primaries

This is disappointing and unacceptable.

atlanta, ga june 09 people wait in line to vote in georgias primary election on june 9, 2020 in atlanta, georgia georgia, west virginia, south carolina, north dakota, and nevada are holding primaries amid the coronavirus pandemic photo by elijah nouvelagegetty images
(Image credit: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images)
Rachel Epstein
By Rachel Epstein
published

The state of Georgia seems to have learned nothing from its deeply-flawed gubernatorial election in 2018 that prevented voters from casting ballots across the state. Voting problems are now rampant once again on June 9, 2020, where people in the Atlanta area have been waiting in lines for hours to cast their ballot for Georgia's 2020 presidential primary election.

Malfunctioning voter machines in multiple parts of the state have been reported since early this morning, prompting voters to stand in line for hours without a guarantee that they'll even be able to cast their vote. The state is blaming poll workers' fear of COVID-19 and inability to work new voting machines after phasing out paperless machines.

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"We have reports of poll workers not understanding setup or how to operate voting equipment,” Jordan Fuchs, the deputy secretary of state, told The New York Times. "While these are unfortunate, they are not issues of the equipment but a function of counties engaging in poor planning, limited training, and failures of leadership."

Voters are outraged about their inability to exercise their civic duty, and now Georgia officials are reportedly investigating what went wrong. Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has called on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to fix the problem.

"Georgians deserve better. I voted today bc of absentee ballot defects. From Jasper to Fulton to Coffee & Chatham, long lines, inoperable machines & under-resourced communities are being hurt. @GaSecofState owns this disaster. He must stop finger-pointing and fix it. #gapol."

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If you believe you have been a target of voter suppression, you can call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. You can also get involved with Fair Fight to help advocate for free and fair elections.

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Rachel Epstein
Rachel Epstein

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. 

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