Morning, y’all, and welcome to Election Day! The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-70s and just a 20% chance of rain.
- If you’re headed to the polls, state officials say to expect short lines and smooth, secure operations.
- Check out mvp.sos.ga.gov to find your precinct information and the AJC’s Voter Guide to see what’s on your ballot, plus lots of explainers.
Read on for more election coverage, including a look at the key factors that could influence the presidential results in Georgia.
Plus the latest on state prison corruption, the Braves’ offseason moves and a tribute to radio personality Wanda Smith.
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HONEST WORK
Ben Gray for the AJC
Ben Gray for the AJC
I waited about an hour to cast my early vote last week in DeKalb County.
As the line wound its way through the hallways of a building at Emory University, I heard the ruckus at least four or five times.
Applause.
Shouts of “woo!” and “way to go!”
The odd celebratory whistle.
I shrugged it off, figured it was coming from some non-voting function in some non-voting room nearby. But as I inched closer to casting a ballot, things got clearer.
- The poll workers were (with permission) announcing and celebrating first-time voters.
It was sweet. And unsurprising.
Because that’s who poll workers are.
- They’re grandmas and grandpas with free time and an interest in democracy. Or other folks who found a useful way to make a few extra bucks. In Savannah, some are even high school kids!
They’re not involved in some elaborate conspiracy. They don’t care who you vote for. And they shouldn’t be targets for harassment and death threats, either.
Do mistakes happen? Sure. I’ve covered plenty of snafus in plenty of metro Atlanta counties over the years.
But the system’s designed to catch errors (like double-scanned absentee ballots during Fulton County’s recount of the last presidential election). And these are people doing their level best under immense pressure, with rapidly changing rules and constantly updating technology.
Poll workers in Georgia and across the country have faced death threats, intimidation and ginned up suggestions of sabotage since 2020. They’ll likely face more, today and in the future.
But they don’t deserve it.
Because they’re just happy to see you.
Lock in to Politically Georgia and AJC.com for live updates throughout Election Day. I’ll have as many results as I can fit in tomorrow’s A.M. ATL., too.
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RED OR BLUE?
Hyosub Shin/AJC
Hyosub Shin/AJC
Will Georgia go Democratic like it did in 2020? Or return to its Republican roots? The AJC’s Greg Bluestein writes that four big factors could help decide the Peach State’s political leanings: The gender gap, split-ticket voters, swingy suburbs and Black turnout.
Read the full story for more, and check out our final look at polls and predictions for the state, too.
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MEANWHILE, AT CITY HALL …
» Atlanta City Council passed an ordinance extending the cutoff time for rentable scooters until 2 a.m. Police had asked them to pause the effort, claiming the scooters are linked to late-night crime.
» An audit, meanwhile, found the city’s use of minority- and female-led businesses as contractors “significantly” lower than previously reported.
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HONORING AN ICON
Arvin Temkar/AJC
Arvin Temkar/AJC
Hundreds of friends, family and fans gathered in Austell on Monday to pay tribute to longtime V-103 morning host Wanda Smith, who died last month after a long illness. (More photos inside story.)
- “She amplified the voices of every day Atlantans to make us all feel seen and heard,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. “She was able to cut through the noise and offer us common sense wisdom.”
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ASSAULT BEHIND BARS
A former guard at Lee Arrendale State Prison pleaded guilty Monday to engaging in sex acts with three incarcerated women, including one who sustained such severe injuries she needed surgery afterward.
A judge sentenced Cameron Larenzo Cheeks to serve 25 years in prison. Read more AJC coverage of corruption and violence inside the state prison system.
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RISING UP
Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC
Momentum’s important in the NFL, and the first-place Falcons are riding a wave, columnist Mark Bradley writes. But will they make a move before this afternoon’s trade deadline, perhaps to improve that pass rush?
Follow @DOrlandoAJC for updates. And be thankful (as always) that you’re not a fan of the Saints, who fired head coach Dennis Allen on Monday.
- Braves: Atlanta exercised its $16 million club option on designated hitter Marcell Ozuna; let catcher Travis d’Arnaud hit free agency; and extended a qualifying offer to pitcher Max Fried.
- Bulldogs: Jacksonville’s sheriff says deputies acted appropriately during altercations with fans during the Georgia-Florida game, several of which went viral after bystanders caught them on video.
- Hawks: A 123-93 loss to the Celtics also included star Trae Young leaving early with a “right rib sprain.” Fun times.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Opinion: Since the YSL arrests, covering Atlanta rap is a roller coaster
» Young Thug trial jury returns to find only two defendants left
» Atlanta artists and executives pay homage to Quincy Jones
» Grady wins approval to open free-standing ER in south Fulton County
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ON THIS DATE
Nov. 5, 1979
The Atlanta Constitution provided initial details on what became known as the Iran Hostage Crisis, reporting that “a mob of Moslem students overran U.S. Marine guards in a three-hour struggle” to seize the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
They took 52 Americans hostage and didn’t release them until Jan. 20, 1981 — shortly after President Jimmy Carter left office.
File photo
File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
John Spink/AJC
John Spink/AJC
AJC photographer John Spink caught Jimmar Ortiz rocking the halfpipe at Dunwoody’s Brook Run Skate Park on Monday. Ortiz said skating is his meditation.
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ONE MORE THING
Speaking of meditation: Take a deep breath. And another. Then check out these tips for easing election-related anxiety.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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