The president of the NAACP suggested Tuesday that Georgia gubernatorial candidate and Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R) should face criminal charges for the way he has handled voting rights in the state.

"It’s unfortunate that Brian Kemp did not step down as secretary of State to ensure we had a fair election," Derrick Johnson said in Atlanta shortly before polls closed in Georgia.

Kemp, who as secretary of state oversees voter rolls, has faced numerous allegations of voter suppression targeting minority groups during his gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams.

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Johnson on Tuesday did not say whether he believed those actions were intentional.

"Whether it’s malicious intent or benign neglect, it’s something that should not take place for this election cycle," he said. "We should have a transparent and fair system."

"He should have stepped down," Johnson continued. "In fact, I wish we could bring criminal charges against how he’s treating our democracy during this election cycle."

Johnson urged voters to stay in line at the polls if they had not yet cast a ballot.

Some polling locations in Georgia were plagued by problems, and hours were extended at three locations in Gwinnett County, where voting machines malfunctioned earlier in the day.

Protect Democracy, a nonprofit organization, filed an emergency lawsuit Tuesday night asking a federal district court in Georgia to block Kemp from counting or certifying ballots in the governor's race.