OAN Staff James Meyers
10:17 AM – Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Election officials have now confirmed widespread problems with voting machines and software on Election Day in two heavily Republican counties in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.
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Officials said there were issues with scanning ballots in Cambria and Bedford counties, which former President Donald Trump won four years ago with 68% and 83% of the vote.
“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,” Cambria County Solicitor Ron Repak said in a statement
“This should not discourage voters from voting at their voting precincts. The Board has filed a Court Order extending the time to vote within Cambria County.”
As a result, election officials have filed emergency paperwork seeking to extend the voting time by two hours to 10 p.m. to rectify the issue and ensure all ballots are counted, according to the petition filed in county court.
A court order seeks to extend the voting time to 10 p.m., two hours past the 8 p.m. deadline for the rest of the state, a GOP source told the New York Post.
The malfunctions come as most experts believe Pennsylvania is the most important swing state in the election, with both Trump and Harris campaigning in Cambria’s biggest city, Johnstown.
Nathan Anderson, an IT specialist from Johnstown, said he ran into issues at his voting site when he casted his vote for Trump Tuesday morning.
He said a poll worker put his ballot in a lock box until it can be scanned, but Anderson admitted he had doubts about the issue.
“I was able to turn in my ballot, whether or not it gets scanned, I’ll never know to be honest,” he said.
Additionally, Anderson stated that other voters were leaving their ballots with poll workers to be scanned later rather than coming back once the machines are fixed.
According to the petition filed to extend the voting time, some voters left their polling location without even casting a ballot over the issues.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said it has been made aware of the issues in Cambria County and is working with local officials to correct them.
“Voters are continuing to vote by paper ballot, in accordance with normal operations, while the county resolves the issue with in-precinct scanning,” the department said in a statement.
“We are working with the County to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election.”
Meanwhile, the ballots in the county will remain in a secured lock box until they can be officially counted, according to the local election board.
Here is the entire statement from Cambria County Solicitor Ron Repak:
“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. This should not discourage voters from voting at their voting precincts. The Board has filed a Court Order extending the time to vote within Cambria County. No one should be turned away from the polls if they wish to cast their vote. Cambria County Board of Elections took measures to have IT specialists called to review the software issue. There is a process in place for issues of this nature. All completed ballots will be accepted, secured, and counted by the Board of Elections. The County Board of Elections has express voting machines at precinct locations to continue to allow voting electronically, while still allowing hand ballots to be cast. The County Board of Elections will continue to monitor this issue and take any necessary action to ensure that all voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots. We thank the community for their patience and support while this issue is rectified. In summary, all votes will be counted and we continue to encourage everyone to vote.”
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