Georgia defends voting system despite 243-percent turnout in one precinct

Enlarge / One of the electronic voting machines used by the state of Georgia. (credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

With worn-out clichés about the dead voting, Chicago used to be the poster child for voter fraud. But if any state is a poster child for terrible election practices, it is surely Georgia. Bold claims demand bold evidence, and unfortunately there’s plenty; on Monday, McClatchy reported a string of irregularities from the state’s primary election in May, including one precinct with a 243-percent turnout.

McClatchy’s data comes from a federal lawsuit filed against the state. In addition to the problem in Habersham County’s Mud Creek precinct, where 276 registered voters managed to cast 670 ballots, the piece describes numerous other issues with both voter registration and electronic voting machines.

Multiple sworn statements from voters describe how they turned up at their polling stations only to be turned away or directed to other precincts. Even more statements allege incorrect ballots, frozen voting machines, and other issues.