Cambria County officials said a malfunction prevented voters from scanning their ballots.
Voting hours have been extended in Pennsylvania’s Cambria County after what officials described as a software problem disrupted the casting of ballots on Nov. 5.
“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,” county commissioners said in a statement to news outlets on Tuesday morning.
After the board filed to the Court of Common Pleas for an extension, the court extended the poll closing time from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., local media reported.
“No one should be turned away from the polls if they wish to cast their vote,” the board said.
It added later: “All completed ballots will be accepted, secured, and counted by the Board of Elections. The County Board of Elections has express voting machine at precinct locations to continue to allow voting electronically, while still allowing hand ballots to be cast. The County Board of Elections will be continuing to monitor this issue and take any necessary action to ensure that all voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots.”
The board also said it has brought in information technology specialists to review the software issue.
The county did not respond to a request for more information.
The Pennsylvania Department of State said it has been in contact with Cambria County officials.
“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 on the social media platform X. “We are working with the County to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election.”
The Republican National Committee said it submitted a filing in support of the county’s legal filing.
“This morning’s ballot processing issues in Cambria have resulted in delays—this is unacceptable, plain and simple,” Michael Whatley, the chairman of the committee, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. “Our legal team acted immediately to support extended hours to give voters the opportunity to vote—we need voters to STAY IN LINE!”
Cambria County, located east of Pittsburgh, has about 133,000 residents. In 2020, candidate Joe Biden received 30.7 percent of the votes in the county. Former President Donald Trump received 68.1 percent. The rest of the votes went to a third-party candidate.
This is a developing story that will be updated.