Glitches Reported at Metro Atlanta Polls

Paul Crawley   11Alive.Com    05 February 2008

Numerous problems resulting from lost keys to computer glitches were reported by voters wanting to cast their ballots in the Metro Atlanta area Tuesday.

At Inman Middle School in Virginia Highland, some voters complained to 11Alive News that they had to wait for an hour-and-a-half due to a bottle neck brought about by identification checks.

Poll workers at the school had just two computer terminals one of which keeps crashing to check ids against their voter registration lists. The lists were not on paper but on the two computers.

While dozens of people stood in line to wait for the identity checks, several voting machines were sitting empty at any given time.

"You could wait in that long line and when they check your address find out you're at the wrong polling place," said voter Carol Colatrella. "How many people are gonna wait for 50 minutes and then go somewhere else and wait for another 50 minutes?"

Other voters said they were worried that the long wait would discourage people from casting their ballot.

"I'm very concerned about what's going to happen in November because I know there's a large turnout now but they'll be a bigger turnout in November," said Tony Lavorgna. "I just think people are going to get discouraged and some people may not even vote or just leave."

"Seems as if the difficulty with accessing the names in the system before you get your card may delay the process a little bit, but all in all it was well worth it," said James Powell, who didn't seem to mind the wait.

Among other complaints from 11Alive viewers:

# At a polling place in Covington, the first voters who showed up at Prospect United Methodist Church said poll workers had forgotten the keys to the ballot box.

# A voter said at MLK Towers had to stand in line for hours to use a paper ballot one person at a time.

# In Henry County, a voter said poll workers at Locust Grove Elementary had the wrong computers and people were leaving without voting.