Voting equipment stolen in Georgia ahead of special election

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Voting machines set to be used in Tuesday's special election in Georgia's 6th congressional district were stolen from a Cobb County precinct manager's car while it was parked outside of a grocery store Saturday night.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp said Cobb County Elections waited until Monday to tell his office about the theft, a move he called "unacceptable," WSB-TV reports. The ExpressPoll machines are used to check voters in and check off when they cast their ballots, and Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said while the stolen machines do contain voter information, it's "hard to access," and there is no way they can be used to cast fraudulent ballots.

The special election is being held to replace the seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and it's receiving national attention. Democrat Jon Ossoff is currently leading a crowded field of 18 candidates, and should any of the candidates earn more than 50 percent of the vote, they will win the seat, otherwise a runoff election between the top two candidates will be held in June.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.