Follow here for the latest election updates from the WABE News team.

2:38 p.m. FBI debunks rumor that voting was rigged in Georgia prisons

The FBI released a statement Tuesday claiming that a video circulating containing what appears to be an FBI press release was false.

The video alleges that management at five prisons in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania rigged inmate voting in collusion with a political party.

The FBI also said a news clip purporting to be a terrorist warning issued by the FBI was also fabricated. The video falsely reports that the FBI asked Americans to “vote remotely” due to a terrorist threat at polling places.

“This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat situation or security of the polling location,” the FBI statement said.

“Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI works closely with its state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote,” the press release continued.

“Attempts to mislead the public with false content about threat assessments and FBI activities aim to undermine our democratic process and erode confidence in the election system. »

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said earlier Tuesday that threats made against two Fulton County polling places were “not credible” and came from Russia intended to disrupt the election.

-Patrick Saunders, Digital News Editor

2:12 p.m. Metro Atlanta voters weigh in on the importance of voting

Molly Chambers voted at the polling site at Trinity Anglican Church in northwest Atlanta.

“I vote in every election and I think it’s great that more people are getting involved in the process,” Chambers said. “And yes, I actually have some hope for the first time since 2016.”

Ralph Sexton voted at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center in Marietta. He encourages his children to vote.

“It’s like I told my kids, I told them, ‘I don’t care who you vote for – I really don’t care, but – I don’t care who you vote for that much that you vote.” You have to vote or the system doesn’t work,” Sexton said.

Mike Gore, who voted at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center in Marietta, shared his reasons for voting.

“We want to vote for a better life, and the one they’ve stood for for the last four years isn’t delivering,” Gore said.

-Stephannie Stokes, housing reporter

1:16 p.m. Judge issues order to keep two Cobb polling places open after 7 p.m.

A Cobb County Superior Court judge issued an order Tuesday afternoon to keep two Cobb polling places open until 7:20 p.m. due to delayed openings Tuesday morning caused by equipment problems. Areas located at Mount Paran Church of God and Kell High School are affected.

Officials said voters casting ballots in those precincts during the extended hours will have to vote via a provisional ballot.

-Jasmine Robinson, digital journalist

12:48 p.m. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger provides voter count and security update

At a midday news conference, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Georgia had cast half a million votes and average wait times at polling places had dropped to one minute. He expects more than 1.2 million votes to be cast today. He said voters should check the secretary of state’s page for information to avoid hoaxes on Election Day.

-Melissa Feito, evening news editor

12:40 p.m. Fulton County police respond to calls at polling places and find no active threats

According to a press release, the Fulton County Police Department responded to several calls Tuesday regarding threats at polling places. Police found no active threat but “will remain vigilant.”

Officials said polling places at the Etris Community Center and Gullatt Elementary School were closed for a short time Tuesday morning due to threats. The Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections will seek a court order to keep polls open after polls close at 7 p.m. for the same length of time as the temporary closure.

Agents are stationed at all 177 polling places in Fulton.

“Disrupting the electoral process is a crime and people who make disruptive threats will face charges,” the press release said.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference that the threats were “not credible” and came from Russia.

“They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair, accurate election,” Raffensperger said.

Fulton County wasn’t the only county to receive threats, according to Raffensperger.

Last week, the FBI said that a prank video allegedly showing election fraud in Georgia also originated in Russia.

-Jasmine Robinson, digital journalist; Sam Gringlas, political journalist

11:28 a.m. Georgia voters have cast their ballots at voting centers across metro Atlanta.

This morning, WABE reporter Stephannie Stokes spoke with several voters who went to their local polling places before they closed later today.

“It feels like people just left Georgia out, and in the last election, with the midterms and everything, I feel like we showed that we’re willing to vote based on real interests of Georgians and the nation as a whole. So I’m feeling a little optimistic – I’m trying to get past the pessimism – and I’m hoping to see some good results today.

– Rummel Medina, Georgia voter

“We are exercising our right and I think this is one of the most important elections in years. We are deciding what direction the country will take at a time when things are so volatile around the world. So I think whoever we choose as leader is really going to decide our direction for the future of world affairs. »

– Lejon Mumford, Georgia voter

“I know there are a lot of people who are anxious. I’m not worried. I believe and I hope that a lot of people will come forward and, you know, put the right candidate in office.

– Amber Hudson, Georgia voter

“I’m glad it’s over. I had a lot of difficult decisions to make. So there was a lot of anxiety leading up to that. But today I’m happy that I was able to get my vote and wait to see what happens.”

– Jeremy Faughtenberry, Georgia voter

9:14 a.m. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger provides an update on the voter count

Local elections officials can begin counting mail-in ballots any time today, according to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

That means more than 4 million in-person early votes and mail-in ballots would be counted and the results made public by 8 p.m. Election Day votes and late-arriving absentee ballots are counted throughout the rest of the night.

Officials have until Friday to receive and count approximately 10,000 outstanding military and overseas ballots.

-Rahul Bail, political journalist

7:39 a.m. WABE News Photos from the 2024 elections

It’s been 14 long weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee, making Georgia a veritable battleground state.