Key Takeaways:
– Due to a malfunction in voting machines, Story County in Iowa is set to manually count ballots.
– Voting machines in some precincts were unable to read some ballot styles.
– Even though the problem might delay result announcements, it does not prevent any voter from casting their votes.
Story County Grapples with Voting Machine Failure
In a rather surprising turn of events, voting machines responsible for counting votes in some Story County, Iowa precincts, stumbled into problems leading to a decision to resort to manual counting. The machines, which were tested and were expected to perform flawlessly, failed to distinguish “certain ballot styles” as stated by Story County Auditor Lucy Martin.
Frustration Over Machine Malfunction
Martin, bewildered by the sudden malfunction of the voting machines, expressed her concerns, stating that she remains unsure of the reason behind these issues as the machines and ballots were tested prior to polling. Regardless of the mishap, she reassured that it will not affect the voters from casting their votes. However, it may slow down the process of declaring election results.
Steps to Resolve the Issue
Martins plans on raising this issue in an upcoming special meeting with the Story County Supervisors. Ashley Esquivel Hunt, a spokesperson from the Iowa Secretary of State office, assured that the auditor is joining forces with the vendor as well as their department to resolve this predicament.
Vote Casting Process
Voters in the Story County have a simple procedure to follow to cast their ballot. They fill out their ballots by marking bubbles alongside their chosen candidates using pens. The completed paper forms then slide into the machines, with the expectation that they will count the votes accurately. However, as per Brett Barker, the chair of the Story County Republican Party, some machines have been spewing out ballots instead of processing them.
Secure Locking of Ballots
Barker provided additional insights, explaining that the election workers have been stacking the unprocessed ballots in securely locked boxes. He also highlighted places where the boxes have run out of space to contain every single ballot. In these precincts, the remaining ballots are being placed in secure bags onsite.
Need for More GOP Poll Watchers
The technical issues with the voting machines have been reported in nine out of the 45 polling sites in Story County. In light of this, Barker is actively rallying more GOP poll watchers to ensure that the manual count process in the affected areas is observed meticulously. He affirmed, “This is mostly about reassuring the public that their votes are counted.”
In Conclusion
Despite the unforeseen glitch, the overall vote-casting process is not being hampered. Though this might cause a delay in the reporting of the results, it ensures every vote is counted, preserving the integrity of the electoral process. Officials are working steadily towards resolving these issues while maintaining transparency to reassure the public about the sanctity of their votes. In the realm of electoral procedures, this Story County incident serves as a reminder that even with advancements in technology, traditional methods still hold their ground when needed.