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Luzerne County officials said they’ve addressed a number of “routine issues” Tuesday as voters went to the polls to cast their votes.
The overwhelming majority of issues encountered were the result of user error and were quickly resolved by the active support staff, county Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo said in an email to media.
The county’s Bureau of Elections is reporting no global or widespread problems with polling places or equipment, Crocamo said.
Director of Elections Michael Susek credited poll workers with “doing a fantastic job,” but added they sometimes needed assistance with troubleshooting problems.
“Since 5:45 a.m. we have addressed a steady stream of minor, routine issues ranging from poll workers entering pass codes into the wrong field to not turning on the battery units. Our election day support team includes our full time staff, technical phone support, on-site representatives from our equipment vendors, and a team of rovers that can be deployed to any location that needs hands-on assistance,” Susek said.
For the Primary Tuesday, the county tested and programmed over 1,000 pieces of voting equipment, including poll books, tabulators, and touch screens. As of 11 a.m. one tabulator was replaced and 4 poll book units were replaced due to power issues.
Several polling places ran into last-minute staffing changes. At least one site did not open until close to 7 a.m. due to the building being locked. The vast majority of polling places were fully staffed.
The county said after the Primary it will work with vendors to make sure any power issues are addressed prior to the November general election.