A shortage of working machines in major counties of the state caused people to wait hours in line, according to local news reports. The problems raised the spectre that results for the closely watched race for governor could be inaccurate.
Republican candidate Brian Kemp is the secretary of state of Georgia, meaning he runs the elections. Critics have complained about a conflict of interest.
A non-profit group on Tuesday went a step further by filing an emergency lawsuit seeking to block Kemp from presiding over counting votes, certifying results, or any runoff or recount.
Protect Democracy said it filed the lawsuit just hours before the polls closed, and if the a judge grants a temporary restraining order Kemp would be barred from duties which are functions of his office.
"No person should be a judge in their own case," said Larry Schwartztol, counsel for Protect Democracy. "That is about as basic a rule of fairness as you can get."
Kemp, who is supported by Trump, is in a tight race against Democrat Stacey Abrams, who would become the first black female governor in the United States if she wins. Abrams has campaigned with Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.
Kemp has been accused of trying to freeze the registration of tens of thousands of black voters, while police have harassed campaigners working to get out the vote.
The history of the Deep South, where Jim Crow laws acted for nearly 100 years after the end of slavery to disenfranchise blacks, cast a heavy shadow over the events.
Another lawsuit was filed in Texas over the delayed opening of polling stations or technology issues. A state judge ruled in favour of the Texas Civil Right Project and ordered one county to extend voting hours at nine polling locations.
Meanwhile in North Dakota, Native Americans struggled to cast their ballots. Indian tribal advocates have for months warned that changes to local laws mean voters are now required to have a physical address, but most people living on reservations use post office boxes.
There were reports that the Standing Rock tribe was saying its members were being turned away Tuesday.
Democrat Heidi Heitkamp is in a tough race in North Dakota, a Republican-leaning state, and has generally enjoyed the support of local tribes.
Suppression could affect her chances of holding on to her seat in the Senate, with the odds of her winning already estimated at just 25 per cent.
Additionally, in one part of Indiana, a judge ordered polling stations stay open late as they were delayed in getting the day started. Republican lawyers in the state are trying to push back amid a tight Senate race.
There also were long lines in Arizona, where one county's computer system went down, according to local news reports. But the county recorder said it was only down for five minutes. Elsewhere, a system to print ballots reportedly didn't function properly.
©2018 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
