Philadelphia Voters Report Broken Machines, Unable To Vote For Correct Candidates
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Voter turnout has been strong across the region, but some polling locations got off to a rocky start on Tuesday.
Many voters reported broken machines, causing long lines, while others said they were unable to vote for the correct candidates. The problems have been resolved as there has been a steady flow of voters inside a firehouse on the 7800 block of Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.
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All four machines at the Ward 64 polling site are back up and running, but that wasn't the case when the polls opened at 7 a.m.
A staff worker says it was because of an electrical problem. It took about 25 minutes before the machines were fixed, but it was an inconvenience for many trying to get to work.
"We had two machines that weren't working. There was an electrical problem," said poll worker Derrick Lamar. "I believe it was low wattage and what not, but I believe we had some inspectors there and they fixed everything."
Another issue voters encountered here was not being able to vote for the correct candidates as the 64th Ward has two districts.
When the machines went down, so did the opportunity for many to vote for their preferred state representative.
"There were four voting machines and only one was working. I signed in, they told me what booth to go into, and I voted, but when I came out I realized that one of the candidates that I could have voted for was not listed on that ballot," said voter Susan Silcox. "It's unfortunate, it's very frustrating, but hopefully things will get better."
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The ballots were fixed within an hour.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has some hotline numbers that you can call if you encounter any issues this Election Day at the polls. They can call the Election Day Hotline from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 215-686-1590. They can also report a problem at 215-686-9641, 9643 or 9644.
More information on Election Day can be found with our Voter Resource Guide.
