Georgia appears to have learned nothing from the deeply flawed 2018 gubernatorial election that prevented voters (opens in new tab) from voting statewide; voting problems will be rampant again on June 9, 2020, and people in the Atlanta area will vote in Georgia's 2020 presidential primary election waiting in line for hours to cast their ballots.

Voting machine malfunctions (open in new tab) were reported early this morning at several locations across the state, leaving voters in line for hours without even a guarantee that they will be able to vote. The state attributed this to poll workers' fear of COVID-19 and their inability to operate the new voting machines after phasing out the paperless machines.

"There are reports that poll workers don't understand how to set up and operate the voting equipment," Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Hooks told the New York Times (opens in new tab). Hooks said, "These are unfortunate, but they are not equipment problems, but the result of counties engaging in poor planning, limited training, and a lack of leadership.

Voters are reportedly outraged at the failure to fulfill their civic duty, and Georgia officials are currently investigating (opens in new tab) 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 because of an absentee ballot glitch. From Jasper to Fulton to Coffee to Chatham, long lines, inoperable machines, and underserved communities are suffering. GaSecofState is responsible for this catastrophe. He must stop shifting the blame and fix it. #gapol"

If you think you have been targeted for voter suppression, you can call the Election Protection Hotline (open in new tab) at 866-OUR-VOTE. You can also join the Fair Fight (opens in new tab) to support free and fair elections.

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