By late morning, the Rev. Martha Simmons was already at her third polling place, with plans to hit the road again in the afternoon.
As a volunteer poll chaplain, Simmons and more than 125 others arrived before daybreak on Election Day at polling sites across Georgia as part of of the New Georgia Project’s faith initiative. They included ministers, students and religion professors from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
Their backgrounds as people of faith who regularly provide comfort and encouragement to others, perhaps best prepared them for problems should difficulties occur. They were ready to defuse tense situations, encourage those who might have to stand for hours in line and to monitor the process.
"It’s a wonderful thing,” said Simmons, host of “Preaching and Preachers,” a Facebook Live broadcast and co-convener of the poll chaplain initiative, who passed out water and snacks early Tuesday to people at the Ben Robertson Community Center on Watts Drive in Kennesaw. “There hasn’t been a complaint. Everything is calm.”
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
She said the sharp rise in early voting was likely the reason for shorter — if non-existent lines. In fact, during early voting several metro precincts experienced hours-long wait times. About 3.9 million Georgians had already cast early or absentee ballots before Tuesday.
Voters quickly moved in and out of the center and those interviewed said they didn’t have any problems.
Amber Chennault of Kennesaw was in and out in a flash.
“It was great,” she said. Chennault didn’t know the poll chaplains were at the site, but thought it was good that they were there.
Earlier, at a site in Atlanta, Simmons said she ran into a woman who had recently moved into the area. She was told by poll workers that she had to go to another location to vote, but Simmons patiently explained she could simply request a provisional ballot and then waited until the woman filled it out and voted.
The Rev. Darrin Sims also served as a volunteer poll chaplain.
He was at the Adams Park Library in Fulton County and said at least 35 people were turned away after being notified they were at the wrong precinct. Some counties, including Fulton and DeKalb, changed a number of polling places ahead of Election Day.
One man, who lived across the street, had just voted there in August, said Sims, but poll workers sent him to another location, Sims said. The man said he never received any notification.
“This feels off to me,” said Sims.
Sims also posted a photo of a man on social media, who was told he was at the wrong precinct. The man, who is visually impaired and had gotten a ride to the polls, was “getting frustrated. We were all getting a little frustrated about why he hadn’t been notified.”
He helped the man fill out a paper ballot instead.
“When people are turned away, we’re documenting that and keeping a running tab by the hour,” Sims said.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
The Rev. Elliott Robinson, pastor of Nimno AME Church in Nicholson, said there were no major issues at Narvie Harris Elementary School in DeKalb County.
“Had that site gotten a crunch of people, they only had two intake pads, which is crazy,” he said.
At Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, the Rev. Cynthia Hale said her church, which served as a polling site, had about eight machines. Usually they have between 12 and 15.
Hale, who serves as the state clergy lead for the “Lawyers and Collars” national program, said she has heard of problems in Gwinnett and as far away as Glynn County.
Most Election Day glitches around the state had been cleared up by the afternoon, and a few metro Atlanta precincts were scheduled to be open past 7 p.m. to ensure voters had the full 12 hours of voting time, according to earlier reporting by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
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