Current:Home > reviewsThis is how precincts in Pennsylvania handle unexpected issues on Election Day -FundGuru
This is how precincts in Pennsylvania handle unexpected issues on Election Day
View
Date:2025-04-14 10:55:06
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
On Tuesday, millions of people in Pennsylvania will travel to their local polling place to cast a ballot.
Election officials want everything to go smoothly, but disruptions sometimes happen.
The most common disruptions at precincts are late openings, lack of staffing and voting machine issues, according to Jeff Greenburg, a 13-year election director veteran. He is now a senior advisor on election administration for The Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan organization focusing on engagement and public policy advocacy.
Anyone can report a problem with the election process. They can call their county elections office, contact the Department of State, or reach out to a voter hotline run by nonprofits.
What if my polling place doesn’t open on time or is not fully staffed?
Sometimes workers arrive late or facility owners forget to unlock the doors on time, Greenburg said.
Polling places open on Tuesday at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line to vote when polls close will be allowed to cast a ballot.
Voters can find their local polling place online.
“County election offices will have contact information for both poll workers and facilities in the event doors are locked or poll workers don’t show up,” Greenburg said.
If there is a shortage of workers at a polling place, workers can be shifted from other locations or recruited, Greenburg said. Pennsylvania law allows workers to fill a vacancy with someone who has come in to vote if that person is willing to help.
What if there are voting machine issues?
There are multiple backups in place so voters can cast a ballot if there are issues with the voting machines.
Greenburg said counties typically have roving technicians respond if issues arise. He said they are dispatched as quickly as possible once the issue is reported.
Typically, reports go from the precinct to the county election office. If the issue cannot be resolved or if legal action is required, the county solicitor and Board of Elections will determine if any further steps are required.
“If there is a significant enough impact on the voting location, the BOE could petition the county courts to extend hours,” Greenburg said.
Each county election office has a process in place to disseminate important information on Election Day. This can be through the county’s website, social media accounts or through local news outlets.
“People should only rely on trusted sources for this information,” Greenburg said. “Whether it’s through the county’s web site or social media accounts, or through local media outlets.”
Counties also have emergency paper ballots if machines cannot be repaired or replaced on Election Day.
Eva Weyrich, Juniata County’s director of elections, said the county only uses paper ballots and each polling place has one machine tabulator.
Even if something goes wrong with the tabulator, voters will still be able to fill out their ballots while a technician travels to the precinct to fix the issue.
Weyrich said the county has never had a machine go down for the whole day.
Juniata County prefers the hand-marked paper ballot system, according to Weyrich.
“We can always go back and hand-count the ballots to verify that the machine was accurate,” Weyrich said.
Forty-seven counties have voters fill in ballots by hand. The other 27 have voting machines that print paper ballots with the voter’s selections that can also be audited after an election.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Elections, explained: We answer your election questions.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
___
This story is part of an explanatory series focused on Pennsylvania elections produced collaboratively by WITF, led by democracy reporter Jordan Wilkie, and The Associated Press.
___
The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here.
veryGood! (6842)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Man pleads guilty to attacking Muslim state representative in Connecticut
- Illinois Republicans propose overhaul for Gov. Pritzker’s ‘anti-victim’ parole board after stabbing
- Seasonal allergies are here for spring 2024. What to know about symptoms and pollen count
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Watch these professional soccer players' kind gesture for young fans in the pouring rain
- John Barth, innovative postmodernist novelist, dies at 93
- LSU settles lawsuit with 10 women over mishandled sexual assault cases involving athletes
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Nicki Minaj delivers spectacle backed up by skill on biggest tour of her career: Review
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to clarify district boundaries for potential recall election
- Saddle up Cowgirl! These Are the Best Western Belts You’ll Want to Pair With Everything
- Lizzo Clarifies Comments on Quitting
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Coachella & Stagecoach 2024 Packing Guide: Problem-Solving Beauty Products You Need To Beat the Heat
- Love is Blind's Giannina Gibelli Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Blake Horstmann
- Black coaches were ‘low-hanging fruit’ in FBI college hoops case that wrecked careers, then fizzled
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Trump sues two Trump Media co-founders, seeking to void their stock in the company
Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton nearly gets run over by bratwurst in Milwaukee Brewers' sausage race
West Virginia power outage map: Severe storms leave over 100,000 customers without power
Small twin
Yellowstone Actor Mo Brings Plenty’s Nephew Missing: Costar Cole Hauser and More Ask for Help
Did women's Elite Eight live up to the hype? Did it ever. Iowa-LSU, USC-UConn deliver big
Kristin Cavallari Is Considering Having a Baby With Boyfriend Mark Estes