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Long lines, broken machines, and gun scares - here are the reported problems voters are experiencing during the midterms
Long lines, broken machines, and gun scares - here are the reported problems voters are experiencing during the midterms
Benjamin Goggin,Benjamin GogginNov 7, 2018, 03:07 IST
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Virginia residents line up to vote in the pouring rain at Robious Middle School November 6, 2018 in Midlothian, Virginia. The U.S. holds its midterm elections today, the first time the nation has voted since a divisive 2016 presidential election.Win McNamee/Getty Images
Voters in Georgia experienced long lines and broken machines.
A gun scare caused one location in Florida to be put on lockdown.
Signatures have proven to be a sticking point in multiple states.
Excitement for the midterm elections has been at unusually high levels, with voters rushing to the polls and smashing early voting records.
But as voters across the country have found, participating in the democratic process isn't always easy. Across the country, reports of traditional Election Day problems like long lines and broken machines have been frequent. Other more unusual problems have also cropped up, stopping some voters from submitting their ballots.
For Democrats, who are hoping that high levels of interest convert to a blue wave, the prospect of voters being turned away is frightening, and in high-stakes races such as the contests in Georgia and Florida, every vote matters.
Here are the problems that voters have faced so far in the midterms.
In Georgia, where the contentious gubernatorial race between Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp has sparked accusations of voter suppression, and multiple counties faced administrative issues on Election Day.
Voters faced long waits after a miscalculation of registered voters
Long lines, an issue that frequently plagues many polling sites across the country, have struck again. Pictures and videos across the country show packed polling places.
Rachel Thompson of Atlanta, Georgia, wrote on Twitter that she waited in line for four hours. "There are 300 of us and THREE voting machines," she wrote.
The line became so long, that civil rights activist Jess Jackson appeared and spoke in an attempt to get members of the queue to stay.
Fulton County Elections Director Rick Barron said during a press conference that an error in voter registration numbers caused too few machines to be deployed to the location.
At one location, every machine used to check voters in went down
In Gwinnett County, in at least two locations, officials told local news channel WSB-TV that every Express Poll machine, which is used to create check-in cards for voters that allow them to use separate machines to vote, went down. The line at Annistown Elementary School reportedly stretched the length of the entire building and was hundreds of people long.
Video reports show poll workers in Gwinnett County giving voters instruction on how to use emergency paper ballots.
In at least one location, the problem was reportedly due to a lack of power cords
NBC News later reported that problems at one location stemmed from a lack of power cords. Gwinnett County Director of Communications Joe Sorenson reportedly told NBC that the machines were not plugged in and were running on batteries that ran out.
WHOA! Check out this line at a polling place in Gwinnett County. The Anderson school location had machine problems earlier, but voters and county officials tell me it's now, fixed.@wsbtv#Election2018#ElectionOn2pic.twitter.com/OJY3DxUHmv
Florida, like Georgia, is facing a heated governors' race between a black Democrat and a white Republican. Some voters faced a few odd issues when they went to the polls.
One location began the day with no ballots
Over an hour after Precinct 501 in Osprey opened, some voters still didn't have access to proper ballots, according to the Herald-Tribune. The precinct is split between two congressional districts, and for over an hour, ballots for one of the districts were not available. Voters were told they could vote at another location, or come back later in the day.
The ballots also reportedly featured the name of a deceased Democratic candidate who has since been replaced. Signs at locations indicated that a vote for the deceased candidate would count for the replacement candidate.
Polling location closed for nearly an hour after gun scare
In Palm Bay, a man with a gun in his car in the parking lot of one polling location caused the voting center to go into lockdown for 40 minutes, according to the Associated Press.
Voters were not diverted to another location, and the man was sent for a psychiatric evaluation.
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, voting machines appeared to cause problems and delays, causing some voters to abandon the effort to vote.
In Philadelphia, at least seven voting locations opened late, and at least 13 other locations experienced voting machine problems, according to The Inquirer.
At the Kingsessing library, one machine was completely broken and another had to be repeatedly restarted, resulting in a line out the door.
One voter reported that technical problems resulted in voting that started at least 45 minutes late, causing multiple people to leave line. Another reported people leaving his polling station after it opened an hour late.
In the weeks leading up to the election, over 30 polling sites changed location, causing administrative confusion. In late October, 33 locations moved after voters received location instructions. Less than a week before the election, four Pittsburgh locations changed.
