A judge ruled Atlanta polling places can stay open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, giving voters an extra hour to cast ballots in city elections.
What’s Happening: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge sided with Atlanta officials who sued Fulton and DeKalb counties to keep polls open longer. State law allows cities with more than 300,000 people to stay open an additional hour. Counties had planned to close polls at 7 p.m. following guidance from the Secretary of State’s office.
What’s Important: People who vote between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. can only vote in Atlanta races. They cannot vote in the state Public Service Commission race. Those voters will use provisional ballots.
Between the Lines: The Georgia Republican Party filed an emergency lawsuit to stop the extended hours, arguing it could cause voter confusion and impact turnout. The Secretary of State’s Office and Georgia GOP said giving Atlanta voters the extra hour could cause confusion and lead to errors in securing votes.
The Big Picture: Atlanta sued after counties planned to close polls at 7 p.m., which would have cut voting short for people who work late or have long commutes. Mayor Andre Dickens said the city will not let anyone reduce access to voting.
The Sources: City of Atlanta.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
