Voters at certain Cobb, Fulton polling locations wait in line into the night

ATLANTA — Sandy Springs voter Peter Desio didn’t expect to cast his vote so late on Tuesday night.

“It’s very unusual and I’ve never seen anything like it."

He says not only was it strange, but it was difficult.

“It took me over an hour from the time I got here to this polling place until I was able to cast my ballot,” Desio said after he cast his ballot just after 9 p.m.

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Desio is one of many voters who waited in long lines at Ison Springs Elementary during the primary election.

On Tuesday afternoon, the polling location had to shut down for hours because of Sandy Springs police manhunt in the area.

Desio says the poll workers told him he had to cast an emergency vote with voting hours were extended to 11:03 p.m. He says workers had to call in and get authorization every five voters.

“They had to read our voter ID over the phone to who ever was on the other side,” Desio said.

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Channel 2’s Tom Jones checked into voting issues throughout metro Atlanta for Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m. and WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Voting hours were also extended at several locations in Cobb County. That’s after poll pads used to check voters in didn’t work.

Channel 2 Action News saw long lines at the Thompson Park polling location in Mableton. Voters say the process was slow there as well.

“It was horrible,” Gloria Stafford said.

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Back at Ison Springs, voters said it was an experienced they won’t forget.

“There’s a first time for everything. But I hope that this is also the last time,” he said.

“I just always make sure I make my vote count,” voter Barbara Wilson said.

Some voters told Jones that they wish they had voted early, but they never expected to wait like this.

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