Georgia election 'catastrophe' in largely minority areas sparks investigation

Georgia election 'catastrophe' in largely minority areas sparks investigation

Hourslong waits, problems with new voting machines and a lack of available ballots plagued voters in majority minority counties in Georgia on Tuesday — conditions the secretary of state called "unacceptable" and vowed to investigate.

Democrats and election watchers said voting issues in a state that has been plagued for years by similar problems, along with allegations of racial bias, didn't bode well for the November presidential election, when Georgia could be in play.

"This seems to be happening throughout Atlanta and perhaps throughout the county. People have been in line since before 7:00 am this morning," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, tweetedshortly after polls were supposed to open — and in some cases still hadn't.

Cody Cutting was in a long line at Lang Carson Community Center in the Reynoldstown neighborhood of Atlanta, where the line snaked around the block and some people had been waiting to cast their votes for 4½ hours.

"People are a bit frustrated, but spirits are still OK. Neighbors are bringing around food, water and chairs," he told NBC News.

Lengthy waits were reported in other parts of Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.

Full Report at nbcnews