Judge Orders Atlanta Polls Open Until 8 p.m.

The City of Atlanta sued Fulton and DeKalb counties seeking to keep city polling places open until 8 p.m. on Election Day so municipal voters have extra time to cast ballots for mayor, council president and council districts. A Fulton County Superior Court judge ruled for Atlanta, ordering polls in the city to remain open until 8 p.m., but said voters arriving after 7 p.m. cannot vote in statewide contests (including the contested Public Service Commission special election) and will be given provisional ballots for those races. Emails filed in the case show the Georgia Secretary of State’s office advised in July that the PSC special election is governed by a law requiring a 7 p.m. close, prompting the dispute over conflicting statutory language for large municipalities. The Georgia Republican Party moved to intervene and sought to block the extension, arguing that differing closing times could cause voter confusion or suppress and dilute votes. The judge ordered strict procedures for the 7–8 p.m. hour — including poll workers informing late arrivals about limited-ballot voting and using provisional ballots — and Fulton and DeKalb officials said they will brief poll workers on implementing the plan.