Fulton County to open 2 more early voting locations amid backlash from community

ATLANTA — Fulton County is making some changes ahead of the upcoming election in November, following criticisms about voting precincts and election monitoring.

But Channel 2 investigative reporter Sophia Choi learned that those changes come with a price tag.

Pastor Brian Tillman heads the Central United Methodist Church in southwest Atlanta -- a voting location in years past.

“We have faced a history of disenfranchisement when it comes to voting,” Tillman said.

This year, he noticed three early voting precincts in Buckhead, but none in historic Vine City and the Atlanta University Center area.

“Same general size of area. Three locations and this area – zero,” Tillman said.

A huge inconvenience for many people in the area who rely on mass transit to get to voting locations.

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“It would take them 45 minutes to an hour using mass transit to get to one of the early voting locations,” Tillman said.

In light of his concerns, Fulton County’s election board voted to spend $200,000 on staffing two additional early voting precincts in the Vine City area of southwest Atlanta.

One will be at Flipper Temple AME, near Northside Drive and the Atlanta University Center.

The other will be at the Fulton County Government Center in downtown Atlanta, near a MARTA station.

“We should do that every time there’s an election so that people who rely on mass transit can get there more easily,” Tillman said.

This election year, Fulton County is making another change: independent monitors at precincts.

The chairman said they’ve already hired two groups: one run by an attorney at a cost of $99,000. The Carter Center will run the other group for free.

“The State Elections Board, they agreed that we should have monitors and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have. From my perspective, the more eyes on our election the better,” Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said.

Pitts said the Fulton County Election Board will pay for the additional precincts and the cost of monitors with money budgeted for additional needs during an election year.

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