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Deadline for Voting Extended in Pennsylvania County Due to Software Malfunction


Cambria County officials reported that voters were unable to scan their ballots due to a malfunction.

Voting hours in Pennsylvania’s Cambria County have been extended after a software issue disrupted ballot casting on Nov. 5, according to officials.

“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 stated to news outlets on Tuesday morning.

The board took legal action to extend the voting period and brought in IT specialists to address the software problem. The updated voting hours have not been disclosed yet.

“No voter should be turned away from the polls if they want to cast their vote,” the board emphasized.

They later added, “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 county did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The Pennsylvania Department of State confirmed that they are in communication 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 stated 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.”
Cambria County, situated east of Pittsburgh, has approximately 133,000 residents. In 2020, candidate Joe Biden secured 30.7 percent of the votes in the county, while former President Donald Trump received 68.1 percent. The remaining votes were cast for a third-party candidate.

This is a developing story and will be updated.



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