Georgia primary has problems with mail-in ballots, waits – raising concerns about November voting

Long waits at polling stations, mail-in balloting confusion and other voting problems plagued Georgia’s primary elections on Tuesday – resulting in finger pointing and red flags about the potential for similar problems in November. 

Five states in all voted Tuesday, with Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and West Virginia joining Georgia. 

Residents outside of Atlanta reportedly waited as long as two hours at polling stations. There were also reported problems with voters waiting in line to vote because they never received a requested absentee ballot, only to be told they could not vote in person because they had been sent a write-in ballot.

The issue of balloting-by-mail in the November general elections, which includes the White House race, is of major concern because social-distancing orders for the coronavirus pandemic could still be in place, limiting voting at often-crowded polling stations. 

In Georgia, many Democrats blamed the Republican secretary of state for hours-long lines, voting machine malfunctions, provisional ballot shortages and absentee ballots failing to arrive in time, according to the Associated Press. 

The campaign for presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden reportedly called the voting “completely unacceptable.”

Georgia GOP Sen. Doug Collins told Fox News on Wednesday morning that the responsibility for having a problem-free election day falls on the counties, many of which are run by Democratic lawmakers.