Forsyth County voters report scanner problems at New Hope Church precinct

Voters at New Hope Church precinct in Forsyth County reported malfunctioning scanners on primary election day, turning a routine stop at the polls into a test of confidence in Georgia’s voting system. Local resident Lesli Richards drew attention to the problem on X, calling it an embarrassment for Georgia’s election process.

The incident came during Forsyth County’s May 19 General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election, a contest with statewide consequences because some races could be decided outright or pushed into a June 16 runoff. In a county with about 181,246 registered voters and roughly 282,805 residents, 23,356 people had already cast ballots in the 2026 primary by election day, according to Georgia Votes.

Georgia election rules require voting at the polls to use electronic ballot markers and ballot scanners, but they also require every polling place and advance voting location to keep emergency paper ballots ready in case equipment fails. That backup is central to voter confidence: if a scanner stops working, ballots are still supposed to be available for secure voting and later counting.

Forsyth County had already put its voting equipment through public logic-and-accuracy testing before ballots were cast. Mandi Smith, director of Forsyth County Voter Registrations & Elections, scheduled testing to begin March 30 at 1201 Sawnee Drive in Cumming, and Georgia law allows members of the public to observe that testing.

The county’s elections office says its mission is not just to register eligible voters and run elections, but to maintain public confidence through education about the voting process and the laws that govern it. That makes scanner problems at a precinct especially sensitive, even when backup procedures are built into state law.

What remains most important for voters is the safeguard itself: if scanners fail again, emergency paper ballots are supposed to be available at the polling place. Forsyth County also tells voters to verify their Election Day polling place through Georgia’s My Voter Page, a practical step that can prevent confusion if equipment trouble or precinct issues arise at the door.