MACON, Ga. — Can you vote this Saturday on Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff?
Senator Raphael Warnock's campaign, along with the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, sued the state last week. They argued early voting should be allowed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Last Friday, a superior court judge agreed. Monday, voting was put back on hold, and some were left wondering why.
"I'm a little lost about a day being such an issue in the voting process," Terry Jones said.
Terry Jones works with Peach Concerned Citizens, a nonprofit that teaches voters about their rights and responsibilities. He says the state's decision to head to court to stop voting this Saturday could hinder a lot of voters.
"We encourage people to vote early because if that is the process that is in place, it's infringing on people that work, those people that are one-income family that have to work and they want to participate in the process," Jones said.
In Macon, the Board of Elections is prepared to meet.
"The five-person board is going to be meeting tomorrow morning at 9:00 and they will vote on whether to have Saturday voting," Tom Gillon said.
Tom Gillon with the Macon-Bibb Board of Elections says preparing for voters is not easy.
"Starting today, the techs are preparing the machines we're going to be using and it is a lot of work and we don't have a lot of people that are available to do that job and so getting our office and Theron Ussery up and running in time is going to be a task," he explained.
Gillon assures Bibb County voters, regardless of the state's ruling, they're prepared.
"At least as early as a week from today, next Monday through Friday. we'll be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. here at our office," he said.
Georgia Republican leaders argue that state law prohibits early voting on a holiday weekend like this week’s. Houston County election officials say they will not offer Saturday voting, regardless of how the court rules. Bibb County's Board of Elections will decide on Tuesday.
The Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia has ruled that counties may offer early voting the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The court denied emergency motions from the State of Georgia, the Georgia Republican Party, the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee Monday evening.