On Monday, the deadline to register to vote in the June 9 presidential primary, Fulton County announced early voting locations and precautions planned to protect everyone against COVID-19.
There will be five locations (listed below) where voters can cast ballots between May 18 and June 5 in the primary contest for president, Congress and the general assembly.
That's far fewer than the 13 locations that hosted a dry-run Fulton officials held February, before the coronavirus lockdowns, to test the county's new voting equipment amid the largest rollout of elections equipment in U.S. history.
MORE | Fulton County's mock election tests new voting system
It can be tough even without an international pandemic to find those willing to open their doors as precincts. But as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, more than 30 locations told Fulton election officials they weren't game to host precincts in light of the coronavirus.
State health data shows that Fulton had more than 3,500 confirmed cases and over 140 deaths as of Monday afternoon.
The county wrote that it wants voters to wear proper face-coverings when voting “out of consideration for fellow voters and poll workers.”
A Fulton poll worker and Riverdale grandmother, 62-year-old Beverly Walker, died April 10 after battling the coronavirus.
At the polls, people waiting in line will stand six feet apart, and the county will limit the total number of people in each precinct. Yes, that means the sometimes-frustrating process of voicing an opinion in a democracy might take longer.
READ | Opinion: The Fulton election worker who died making sure thousands could vote
MORE | Virus concerns close churches, other voting sites for Georgia primary
“Voters should expect longer lines than normal at polling locations and Fulton County Registration & Elections encourages voters to vote by mail if possible,” the county wrote.
That's why Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced in mid-April that Georgia would be mailing absentee ballot request forms to the state's roughly 7 million voters.
Visit the Secretary of State's "My Voter" page at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov or Fulton County Registration & Elections page at https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/registration-and-elections/find-my-polling-site for more details.
Early voting will take place from May 18 (a Monday) until June 5 (a Friday) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. On May 30 (a Saturday) testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Polls will be closed on Memorial Day, May 25.
READ | Cities want half of Fulton's $104M to fight COVID-19; county says no
Here are the five early voting locations for the presidential preference primary:
• Alpharetta Library 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Ga. 30009
• C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center, 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, Ga. 30311
• Garden Hills Elementary School Gymnasium, 285 Sheridan Drive Atlanta, Ga. 30305
• Sandy Springs Library,m 395 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, Ga. 30328
• South Fulton Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, College Park, Ga. 30349
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