PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Voters in deep red counties in Pennsylvania will have an additional two hours to cast their votes on Election Day after widespread problems with voting machines caused confusion and long lines. .
Problems with scanning ballots in Cambria County could disenfranchise voters in a key battleground state, local election officials said Tuesday.
Problems were also reported with Bedford County’s tabulation machine.
Officials reassured voters that their votes would be counted despite the glitch.
Former President Donald Trump won the county with 68% and 83%, respectively.
“The Cambria County Board of Elections learned early this morning that a software glitch in the county’s electronic voting system was preventing voters from scanning their ballots,” Cambria County Attorney Ron Lepak said in a statement. .
“This should not deter voters from voting at the polls. The Board has filed a court order extending the voting period within Cambria County.”
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Nathan Anderson, an IT specialist from Johnstown, Cumbria’s largest city, said he encountered problems at the polling station when he voted for Mr Trump this morning.
Anderson said he kept the ballots in a locked box until poll workers could scan them, but he admitted he was hesitant about the issue.
“I was able to submit my ballot, but I honestly don’t know if it will be scanned,” he said.
Anderson added that some people are leaving their ballots with poll workers to be scanned later after the machines are fixed and not returned.
According to a petition filed in county court, election officials filed an emergency document to resolve the issue and extend voting hours by two hours to 10 p.m. to ensure all votes are counted.
“This glitch caused voter confusion, long lines for voters, and many people left the polling place without voting,” Lepak said in the filing.
He added that the malfunction “could potentially disenfranchise a significant number of voters in Cambria County.”
A judge quickly approved the order, but noted that any votes cast after the standard 8 p.m. deadline would be provisional.
In Bedford County, local officials said several precincts reported problems with tabulation machines before voting began, and support teams were sent to resolve the issues.
“The ability to vote has not been affected and all sites are being addressed at this time,” Bedford County Elections Director Jeffrey Gable said in a statement.
Pennsylvania received the most electoral votes of any battleground state in the 2024 election. The outage is a serious blow for Republicans, given that President Trump, 78, lost the Keystone State by just over a percentage point in 2020, and polls rank the state as a major statistical problem. is causing concern.
Cambria County is approximately 105 miles east of Pittsburgh and has a population of 131,000. Neighboring Bedford has about 47,000 residents.
Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris previously campaigned in Johnstown.
The machine and software problems in Cambria and Bedford counties come at a time when the nation is on edge about elections. Four years ago, Trump promoted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Ahead of this election cycle, he warned of potential malice.
President Trump’s allies are closely watching for any wrongdoing and are preparing to file a number of potential lawsuits. The issues in Cumbria and Bedford could be fodder for potential litigation.
“Today is going to be the most important day in American history. Voter enthusiasm is through the roof because people want to make America great again. That means long lines. Yes! Deliver your votes, no matter how long it takes. Get in line! Radical Communist Democrats want you to pack up and go home,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. I wrote it in
Lepak suggested that the county’s response to software and machine problems shows how the system is working to protect voters from glitches.
“The Cambria County Board of Elections has taken steps to bring in an IT expert to investigate the software issue. We have processes in place for these types of issues. All completed votes The forms will be accepted, secured and counted by the Election Commission,” he stressed.
“The County Board of Elections continues to install high-speed voting machines in precincts to allow for electronic voting, as well as hand voting,” Lepak continued. “The County Board of Elections will continue to monitor this matter and take necessary steps to ensure all voters have the opportunity to vote.”
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Local voter Jesse Anderson said he was shocked by the problems on his ballot, but was relieved that he had decided to vote early on Oct. 29 in anticipation of possible problems on Election Day. .
“I’ve never voted early. I voted by mail. But Mr. Trump kept it public. Make it too big to rig,” she said of the former president. I was in tune.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said it is aware of the problem in Cambria County and is working with local officials to fix it.
“While the county resolved the issue with precinct scanning, voters continued to vote as usual with paper ballots,” the department said in a statement.
“We will continue to work with the county to resolve this technical issue and remain committed to ensuring free, fair, safe, and secure elections.”
RealClearPolitics’ latest multi-candidate poll shows Trump leading Harris by 0.6 percentage points. The 45th president turned the nation upside down in 2016, but lost it in 2020.
