ATLANTA --- Hundreds of independent election monitors, lawyers and partisan operatives are gearing up to keep an eye on voting in Georgia amid concerns that long lines, machine glitches and registration problems could complicate Election Day.
At a state Capitol news conference Thursday, the nonpartisan group Election Protection said their hot line (1-866-OUR-VOTE) has so far received about 3,500 calls from Georgians with issues such as locating a polling place and checking that their voter registration has been confirmed.
The group is hoping to have 600 trained poll workers and legal volunteers election blanketing metro Atlanta and Bibb County on Election Day, Georgia director Sarah Shalf said.
But a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel said voters should first reach out to state or county elections officials, rather than an independent group.
The campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will also have teams watching polling places and lawyers waiting to troubleshoot.
The office of Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker has a five-lawyer task force assigned to answer questions from voters and elections officials through their own hot line (404-651-9303).
-- Associated Press
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