Handel: no mechanism for Saturday voting

Sign at the Fulton County Government Center, explaining early voting procedures, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Secretary of State Karen Handel -- a Republican who oversees Georgia elections -- says state law doesn't provide for weekend voting and prohibits voting on the Monday before Election Day.

Democratic Party Chair Jane Kidd on Tuesday called on Handel to request that the Department of Justice allow polls to remain open longer during the week, over the weekend, and on Monday, November 3:

“We have known that both the Democratic and Republican parties, their candidates, and even your office itself are encouraging voters to avail themselves of advance and early voting. And, we have known since advance voting began that large numbers of voters are doing just that. I am just mystified that your elections division is seemingly so unprepared for the wave of voters we all knew was coming."

Handel responded saying that county officials will be working through the weekend to prepare for the crush of voters.

Lines at the ballot box were down to under four hours in most places by Tuesday.

(AP)

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Polling problems reported

Heavy turnout and sporadic computer problems created long lines at some polling places in Georgia today. The campaign of Democrat Barack Obama said it is asking the state to keep at least one Atlanta precinct open late. At a precinct at one Atlanta residential building, voting was delayed when only one of five voting booths were working and election workers had to hand out 75 paper ballots. A campaign watchdog group said some computers being used to verify voter identifications as part of a new state law crashed earlier in the day. The Secretary of State's office said it dispatched staff and poll monitors to precincts that reported problems.

For all of today's GPB elections coverage, visit our elections blog at gpbelectionnews.blogspot.com.