The first of two rolling polling places is ready to hit the road in Georgia’s most populous county.
Fulton County officials unveiled the mobile voting unit Thursday in Atlanta, as officials sought to assure voters that the November general election would run more smoothly than the June primary election. It saw long lines and trouble sending out mail ballots.
The county-owned vehicle will offer early voting in addition to 30 fixed locations and absentee ballots by mail. Voters can cast ballots at any early voting location from Oct. 12 to Oct. 30, regardless of their assigned precinct on election day.
The county wants 80% of voters to cast absentee ballots in person or by mail, said county Registration and Elections Director Richard Barron. He forecasts a turnout of 80% of voters, up from 64% during the 2016 presidential election.
The county is doubling its spending on elections to $34 million this year, said County Manager Dick Anderson.
One remaining worry is that voters have been assigned to 91 new voting locations, as the county seeks to expand polling places and cut lines. The county is sending mailings, but Barron urged all voters to check their polling place on the Georgia’s My Voter Page website.
