GEORGIA IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NATIONAL HEADLINES ON GA.’S ELECTION WOES

■ The Washington Post:

Tuesday was primary day in Georgia, and things went about as well as you might have expected: Lines snaked out the doors, some polling locations didn’t open on time and others struggled with new voting machines in Georgia’s primary election Tuesday, a potential preview of how new voting procedures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic could affect the presidential election in November.

■ FiveThirtyEight.com:

Yesterday’s primary elections were once again marred by serious problems at the polls, especially in Georgia. However, in this case, the issues probably had less to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, and more to do with the state’s own ineptitude.

The state apparently passed on what it deemed the best voting machines available, opting for a cheaper vendor that had never installed so much equipment in such a short period of time. And some polling places in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties opened late because of problems booting up the machines; some didn’t even receive the necessary equipment until after polls were supposed to open. Poll workers in Columbus also had trouble setting up the ballot printers, which they blamed on lack of training due to the coronavirus.

■ Politico

Georgia is one of a slew of Southern states that have closed a significant number of polling sites over the past seven years. Georgia has closed roughly 5% of polling places since the Supreme Court invalidated protections against discrimination under the Voting Rights Act.

JENNI GIRTMAN / FOR THE AJC Long lines, like this one at New Beginnings Full Gospel Church, were among a flood of issues plaguing Tuesday’s voting in Georgia. There also were problems with equipment, with several polling places opening late because of problems booting up the machines. As problems mounted, many leaders chose to play the fashionable blame game of institutional finger-pointing.