Early Voting Continues In Georgia
A line forms outside State Farm Arena for early voting in Atlanta.
Brynn Anderson / Associated Press file
Election officials are working on cutting down on long lines for day three of early voting across Georgia.
Meanwhile, many Fulton County voters have been moving to State Farm Arena to cast their ballots after seeing long lines at other polling places.
Bashirah Muttalib says she made two separate trips and initially requested a mail-in ballot but decided to vote in person.
“First, because of the pandemic, and I’m older, and so I thought I want to mail it in,” she said. “But this election is so important to me, and I wanted to make sure my ballot was counted properly. And there weren’t any issues, so I came in person.”
She says it was an easy process voting at State Farm, and she felt safe with the coronavirus precautions taken.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated is one of the largest African American sororities in the nation, and its more than 200,000 members are playing a key role in the upcoming November elections.
The sorority does not endorse candidates, but it works to keep voters informed about pressing issues.
Kathy Adams, with the sorority’s East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter, said that this year, more value needs to be placed on what women are saying.
The East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. is sponsoring a “Vet the Vote” virtual candidates forum on Oct. 20, along with the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
The event will be held via Zoom.
The President of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hopes members of the Latino community will go to the polls early to cast their ballots.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by civil rights groups to require Georgia officials to send absentee ballot applications in Spanish to Gwinnett County voters.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the judge ruled state and Gwinnett County officials did not violate federal law by sending only English applications to residents in the county earlier this year.
The judge says people who did not receive the Spanish ballot applications were still able to get them.
Gwinnett is the only county in Georgia required to print election materials in English and Spanish because of its large Spanish-speaking population. One group in the lawsuit is considering an appeal.
In Gwinnett, Hispanics represent 23% of the population— that translates into nearly 200,000 potential voters.
Gabriel Vaca shared with WABE’s “Morning Edition” his thoughts on the ruling.
Record turnout is expected for this year’s presidential election.
Election officials and advocacy groups have been pushing people to vote early, either in person or by absentee ballot, in anticipation of record turnout and concerns about coronavirus exposure.
WABE’s Christopher Alston contributed to this report.
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