RadioOnFire.com - One of Maryland's top elections officials said voting went smoothly, but a number of voters are complained of long lines and most precincts have just one scanner for paper ballots.
Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator for the State Board of Elections, acknowledged a "handful of reports" of issues at polling places, including trouble with scanners.
"We have techs in the field that are responding very quickly to those," Charlson said on WBAL News Now.
Those technicians are then either fixing the problem--often a jam--or replacing the scanner entirely. If the scanner is having trouble, Charlson said, voters can deposit their ballots in a secure bin, and they are scanned after polls close at 8 p.m. Election judges have to reconcile the number of voters checked in with the number of ballots distributed and how many were scanned, Charlson said.
She said that in most cases, the line isn't for the scanners, but for check-in. However, in some cases, like Baltimore County, a multi-page ballot can complicate matters somewhat, she said.
"We are seeing terrific turnout, so we're excited that voters are coming out to vote and ask them to be patient," Charlson said.
She advised voters going to the polls after work to expect the evening rush. Though polls close at 8 p.m., any voters in line at that time can cast their votes.
Source WBAL
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