City of Atlanta voters have been granted an extended voting period until 8 p.m. on Election Day, a decision that has come as a result of a last-minute court ruling. This extension was ordered by a Fulton County judge during an emergency hearing on Monday, following a lawsuit filed by the city of Atlanta. The ruling specifically applies to 67 polling places in Fulton County and 14 in the portion of DeKalb County that falls within Atlanta city limits.
For those voters who are in line by 7 p.m., they will be able to cast their votes using regular ballots and participate in the crucial statewide Public Service Commission (PSC) elections. However, voters arriving at polling locations after 7 p.m. will have to use provisional ballots, which are counted separately and do not include the PSC elections.
Georgia law permits cities with populations over 300,000 to extend voting hours for municipal elections. This situation arose when the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office informed county elections officials shortly before the election that polling locations in the city of Atlanta must close at 7 p.m. on November 4 due to the PSC races, a detail that was not communicated to city officials until just a few days before the election.
Judge Melynee Leftridge rendered her decision orally during the hearing and indicated that she would provide a written order once Fulton and DeKalb elections officials finalized their updated vote-counting procedures for residents arriving after the regular closure time. She also required county election officials to conduct a Zoom meeting with Atlanta poll workers that evening to ensure clarity on the new voting protocol.
This extension is a significant step to enhance voter accessibility and participation in the election process, reflecting a commitment to democratic engagement in the city of Atlanta. While the last-minute changes have created some challenges, they also demonstrate a proactive approach to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to make their voices heard.