The lines were long at polling sites throughout Fulton County on Tuesday. But not for pop star Usher.
Usher was ushered to the front of the line when he came through a back door at the Bill Johnson Community Activity Building in Roswell.
The special treatment of the Grammy Award winner infuriated non-celebrities who stood waiting, Channel 2 Action News reported. Fulton elections Interim Director Sharon Mitchell confirmed Thursday that the singer — whose full name is Usher Raymond IV — had made arrangements for voting in advance.
“It was better for us not to create a distraction from a celebrity for other voters,” Mitchell said.
North Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann, who has been critical of long lines and insufficient polling space and machines in her area, questioned the fairness of the decision.
Hausmann said she can think of only a few people who might deserve such treatment: people with disabilities, the elderly and voters toting small children. “I’m not sure about celebrities,” she said.
Channel 2 reported that Usher went straight to a voting machine, where he took cell phone pictures of himself casting his ballot. He then posted the photos on his Twitter account.
By law, taking photos while voting is allowed only with the poll manager’s permission. That was granted, a county representative told Channel 2.
