COBB COUNTY, Ga. — People were already pulling into the main Cobb County Elections Office parking lot on Saturday morning. A few were confused, believing early voting started earlier than the Noon hour posted on the county's website. One such person was Sammie Herbert, who arrived shortly after nine in the morning to find the doors locked.
"I thought it was going to be regular hours. So I just have to go home and come back," he told 11Alive's Karys Belger.
When asked why he chose Saturday to vote, Herbert passionately described his feelings about securing a user majority in the United States Senate.
Another who was surprised surprised to find the doors closed to the polling place was James Carter. When he arrived a little after 8 a.m., he told 11Alive he wanted to make sure he voted before the University of Georgia game later in the day. Carter also said he had voted consistently for years.
"If you don't vote, then you shouldn't complain who gets elected. So I wanted to get out a vote and been voting since I was 18 years old," he said.
Both men vowed to return later in the day when the office was open. By 11:00 a.m. Saturday, a line was already forming outside of the building and was growing.
Voters will decide who will win one of the two seats Georgia occupies in the Senate. Incumbent Raphael Warnock has frequently relied on his voting record over the last two years to woo voters. Meanwhile, challenger Herschel Walker has recently been campaigning with Gov. Kemp.
A steady stream of people came into one of the voting rooms as soon as the doors were open at twelve. By then, the line wrapped around the building.
Shonna Davidson said the wait was not unpleasant, but regardless, she would have stayed in line for as long as possible.
"I mean, the wait was about 40 minutes long, so it wasn't too bad. And, you know, I vote because I have the right to and democracy is on the line for me. So we're out here voting just to make sure we cast your ballot," she told 11Alive.
Long lines were a familiar sight across the state of Georgia. Images sent to 11Alive from viewers showed similar lines in DeKalb and Henry County.
The final day for voting in the Georgia run-off election is Dec. 6. Polling dates and times will vary by county,