Lawsuit To Shorten GA Voting Lines Dismissed by Federal Judge

ATLANTA, GA — Disagreeing that long lines “are all but certain” for the Nov. 3 general election, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to accommodate the expected glut of voters.

U.S. District Judge Michael Brown wrote in a 78-page order that local election officials alone are responsible for allocating voting machines, paper ballots and manpower, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The lawsuit, filed by the Democratic Party and three voters, asked courts to force localities to order the use of paper ballots when lines exceed 30 minutes and beef up poll-worker training, among other things.

It cited a study by an expert in supply-chain management from a Minnesota university as evidence long lines were certain on Nov. 3.

Brown wasn’t convinced.

“The court cannot strip state officials of their constitutionally enshrined authority over elections and reassign that authority to an academic instead (at least on the facts here),” Brown wrote in his order.

Citing evidence that elections officials have taken “extensive measures” to shorten lines, Brown added: “But that is not the point; no one, including this court, can guarantee short lines.”

Brown’s decision came on the second day of early voting in Georgia. On Monday, voters at some metro-Atlanta sites waited more than eight hours to cast their ballots.