Philadelphia Voting Machines Pass Inspection, Even If All Ballot Names Don't
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Everything went smoothly with the voting machines that volunteers checked out today in Philadelphia, in advance of the May 17th primary election in Pennsylvania -- except for a few names on the ballot, which have created some snafus.
The good news: the 3,500 machines are set to jet. The bad news: they're tested, sealed, and covered.
One of the names on the ballot for the one open Municipal Court slot, for example, is that of Anita Smith (right). She's not a lawyer, which is a prerequisite for being a judicial candidate. So, if she wins, she'll be kicked off the bench before she gets a robe.
Another judicial candidate, Meredith Siegle DiClaudio, got a court order to leave the race, but it's too late to remove her name from the ballot, either. If she wins, it won't count.
Then there's a candidate for the 2nd District seat of outgoing Philadelphia city councilwoman Anna Verna. Damon Roberts just announced he's abandoning the race, but will now need a court order to make it official, since his name also remains on the ballot.
All told, this primary is the most hotly contested in over 20 years, with five vacant seats on City Council, due to retirements.
Several include crowded fields. There are as many as seven candidates in one district race, and four in another. There's an even larger field in at-large Council races.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio 1060
