Voting hours have been extended in Cambria County following a software malfunction that disrupted ballot scanning on US Election Day.
The Office of County Commissioner confirmed Tuesday that the issue affected the county’s electronic voting system, preventing voters from scanning their ballots.
In a statement, county officials reassured voters that the malfunction should not deter them from voting. “There is a process in place for issues of this nature, and the malfunction should not discourage voters from voting at their precincts,” the Cambria County Board of Elections emphasised.
The issue was discovered early Tuesday. “The Cambria County Board of Election learned early this morning that a software malfunction in the County’s Electronic Voting System has prevented voters from scanning their ballots,” the Office of County Commissioners said in a release. In response, the Board sought a court order to extend voting hours to ensure all voters could cast their ballots.
“No one should be turned away from the polls if they wish to cast their vote,” the Board added. IT specialists were called in to address the malfunction, and the Board assured voters that all completed ballots would be “accepted, secured, and counted.”
Dave Luciew, a voter from the borough of Geistown, shared his surprise with CNN when he arrived at his polling place to find it empty. “When we got there, it was surprisingly empty. As people were exiting, they said that the machines were down,” Luciew said. After confirming the issue inside, he and his wife decided to return later when the machines were functioning again. Luciew noted that returning later would give him greater confidence that his vote would be properly counted.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of State was working closely with county officials to resolve the issue. Spokesman Matt Heckel explained that while the problem is being addressed, voters can continue to use paper ballots. “Voters can continue to vote by paper ballot, in accordance with normal operations, while the county resolves the issue with in-precinct scanning,” Heckel said.
Heckel reaffirmed the commitment to ensuring a smooth election. “We are working with the County to resolve this technical matter and are committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election,” he added.
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