Chaos at the polls: Officials late, voting machines fail, and GOP poll watchers blocked in Pennsylvania

Election Day in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state in this year’s race, is off to a rocky start, with voters across multiple jurisdictions reporting significant issues at polling places.

From Republican poll watchers being turned away to logistical blunders and malfunctioning voting machines, the situation has sparked frustration and concern.

In Philadelphia, reports emerged even before polls opened about disruptions affecting GOP poll watchers.

Attorney Linda Kerns took to X (formerly Twitter) to describe the chaos: “Polls have not opened yet in Philly, and FOUR of our court-appointed election workers were kicked out and told they can’t work. Democrats don’t want our people on the polling places.”

She noted that the issue had been reported to District Attorney Larry Krasner and questioned whether he would take any action.

The response from Republican officials was swift. About an hour later, GOP Chairman Michael Whatley provided an update, announcing that legal intervention had helped resolve the situation.

“Early this morning, we learned that Republican poll watchers in Philadelphia, York, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Lehigh, Cambria, Wyoming, and Lackawanna Counties were being turned away,” Whatley wrote.

“We deployed our roving attorneys, engaged with local officials, and can now report that all Republican poll watchers have been let into the building. We will keep fighting, keep winning, and keep sharing updates.”

However, issues extended far beyond poll watcher disputes. According to WTAJ, other counties, including Blair, Cambria, and Huntingdon, experienced problems with their voting systems.

In Blair County, a voting site in Martinsburg faced complications when voters who had previously cast ballots there were not listed in the system. The issue was resolved only after switching machines.

In Cambria County, a viewer reported that ballots couldn’t be scanned at polling locations, indicating a more widespread malfunction affecting the county.

Further disruptions were highlighted by an attorney known as Brandon, who shared his experience on X.

He described standing in line at his polling place when a poll worker informed the crowd of a serious administrative error. “Allegheny County didn’t send the necessary paperwork for one of the two districts at this polling location, and one of the necessary officials hasn’t shown up yet,” he recounted.

As a temporary solution, poll workers separated the districts and allowed only one to vote while encouraging those who didn’t want to wait to use provisional ballots.

“The County didn’t send the poll book, and they can’t start voting until they have it,” he said, adding that the district’s elections judge was late, having arrived 40 minutes after polls opened.

Another significant delay occurred in Luzerne County.

A user on X reported that as of 7:20 a.m., the St. Maria Goretti Church Hall polling site had not opened.

WNEP later confirmed that voting did not begin there until 8:30 a.m.—an hour and a half late—due to the Judge of Elections arriving well after the scheduled opening.

This delay prevented voters from casting their ballots in a timely manner, further contributing to mounting frustrations.

In Cambria County, complications arose from a technical malfunction. County solicitor Ron Repak issued a statement explaining that a “software malfunction in the County’s Electronic Voting System has prevented voters from scanning their ballots.”

Repak reassured the public that the issue was being addressed and emphasized that voters should not be discouraged from participating. “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,” he said.

The county brought in IT specialists to examine the problem, and Repak detailed the measures taken to secure completed ballots.

“All completed ballots will be accepted, secured, and counted by the Board of Elections,” he added, noting that express voting machines were deployed to facilitate electronic voting while still accommodating hand ballots.

In light of the various issues, founder of Early Vote Action Scott Presler reminded Pennsylvanians to report any problems to the Republican National Committee’s Protect the Vote initiative.

This added call to action aimed to ensure transparency and fairness as the day unfolded.

Despite efforts to resolve these challenges, the morning’s events highlight the complexities and tensions surrounding Election Day in such a pivotal state.

The convergence of administrative errors, software malfunctions, and conflicts over poll watcher access underscores the high stakes and potential for controversy as Pennsylvania voters continue to cast their ballots.

By Max Walker

Max Walker is an independent journalist covering politics, corruption, crime, and the economy.

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