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Final preparations underway in Fulton County ahead of Election Day

Voting machine memory cards will have a police escort from each location to the Elections Hub in Union City.

UNION CITY, Ga. — On the eve of Election Day, Fulton County officials have announced extensive measures to secure and streamline the voting process. With polling locations across Georgia set to open early tomorrow, local leaders say they are prepared to ensure a safe and efficient election.

The Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center in Union City will serve as the focal point for tabulating results, a first for the county during a presidential election. The new facility was designed to centralize the counting process, and officials say months of preparation will ensure that votes are accurately and transparently recorded.

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Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts, one of four speakers at a public briefing, expressed confidence in the county's readiness.

 "Early voting here was a tremendous success," Pitts said. "That’s why I say tomorrow is going to be even more successful.” 

More than 400,000 Fulton County residents cast their votes early, and Pitts anticipates smooth operations as election workers gear up to tabulate results.

At the hub, election officials, including Elections Director Nadine Williams, outlined security protocols in place for tomorrow’s vote. Memory cards from each precinct will be escorted by police to the central operations center, ensuring timely reporting of results. Williams assured voters that the system, tested during the primary earlier this year, is ready for Election Day.

“We are prepared,” Williams said. “We’re doing the same memory card transfer as in the primary, with police assisting us in securely transporting the cards from our seven check-in locations.”

Fulton County Police, with support from local departments, will station officers at each of the county’s 177 polling locations. According to Police Chief Wade Yates, law enforcement presence will remain consistent throughout the day and night to protect voters and election workers.

“We are working with city police departments to have officers present the entire time,” Yates said.

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Monday's briefing followed a lawsuit filed by national and state Republicans challenging the weekend opening of Fulton County election offices to accommodate absentee ballot drop-offs. While officials declined to comment directly on the suit, they emphasized that the actions taken were legal and intended to increase voter accessibility.

“What Fulton County attempted to do was to provide a location for voters to hand-deliver their absentee ballots,” said Sherri Allen, chair of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections. 

Allen said that every step taken has been aimed at ensuring a secure and transparent election.

On Tuesday, around 1,800 election workers will staff precincts across the county as polls open at 7 a.m. Final results will begin tabulation at 7 p.m., with police providing an escort for memory cards from each location to the Union City operations hub. County officials project that preliminary results will be available by 8 p.m.

Chairman Pitts expressed optimism about tomorrow’s turnout and the efficacy of the preparations made.

"This new facility centralizes everything, making our process more secure and efficient," he said.

Fulton County voters can expect a fortified and secure Election Day as officials work to uphold the integrity of the election process.

You can watch the full press conference in the video below. 

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