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Widespread voting problems reported in two heavily Republican counties in Pennsylvania
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Widespread voting problems reported in two heavily Republican counties in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Election officials confirmed widespread problems with voting machines and software in two heavily Republican counties in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania on Election Day.

Officials said there were problems scanning ballots in Cambria and Bedford counties, which former President Donald Trump won four years ago with 68% and 83% of the vote, respectively.

Voters in Cambria County, PA experienced problems with voting machines this morning. X / @KimJFlanders

“The Cambria County Board of Elections learned early this morning that a software glitch in the county’s electronic voting system has prevented voters from scanning their ballots,” Cambria County Attorney Ron Repak said in a statement.


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“This should not deter voters from voting at their polling station. The board has filed a court order seeking to extend the time to vote within Cambria County.”

Election officials have filed emergency filings to extend voting time by two hours to 10 p.m. to correct the issue and ensure all ballots are counted, according to the petition filed in district court.

A court order seeks to extend voting time to 10 p.m., two hours after the 8 p.m. deadline for the rest of the state, a Republican source told The Post.

Pennsylvania is perhaps the most important swing state in the election, with both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning in Cambria’s largest city, Johnstown.

Nathan Anderson, an IT specialist from Johnstown, said he encountered problems at his voting site when he cast his vote for Trump this morning.

He said a poll worker had placed his ballot in a lockbox until it could be scanned, but Anderson admitted he had reservations about the issue.

“I was able to turn in my ballot, whether it gets scanned or not, I’ll never know to be honest,” he said.

Anderson added that others are also leaving their ballots at polling stations to be scanned later, rather than returning once the machines are repaired.

Some voters even left their polling station without casting a vote on the issues, according to the petition filed to extend voting time.

Trump was joined by Megyn Kelly as he delivered his penultimate speech before the election on Monday evening. REUTERS

Anderson’s wife, Jessie, said she was shocked by the voting issue but relieved that she chose to cast her ballot early on Oct. 29 in anticipation of potential problems on Election Day.

“I’ve never voted before, I voted by mail. But Trump kept bringing it out. Make it too big to manipulate,” she echoed the former president.

The Pennsylvania Department of State said it has been made aware of the problems in Cambria County and is working with local officials to correct them.


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“Voters will continue to vote via paper ballots, in accordance with business as usual, while the county resolves the issue through on-site scanning,” the department said in a statement.

“We are working with the province to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring free, fair, safe and secure elections.”

A similar problem is happening in Bedford County, with officials saying they are working quickly to repair the machines.

With polls close to deadlock, Harris and Trump are both hoping for a win in Pennsylvania. Getty Images

According to the local elections board, ballots will remain in a secure vault in the county until they can be counted.

Several other counties in the state, including Blair, Somerset and Clearfield, have reportedly been shut down, but those reports have yet to be verified.

Full statement from Cambria County Attorney Ron Repak:

“The Cambria County Board of Elections learned early this morning that a software glitch in the county’s electronic voting system has prevented voters from scanning their ballots. This should not deter voters from voting at their polling station. The board has filed a court order seeking to extend the voting period in Cambria County. No one should be turned away from the polls when they want to cast their vote. The Cambria County Board of Elections has taken steps to have IT specialists called to assess the software problem. There is a process for these types of issues. All completed ballots are accepted, secured and counted by the Board of Elections. The County Board of Elections has speed voting machines at county locations to allow for electronic voting while still allowing manual voting. The County Board of Elections will continue to monitor this issue and take appropriate action to ensure all voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots. We thank the community for their patience and support while this issue is resolved. In short: all votes are counted and we continue to encourage everyone to vote.”