Article Summary –
Pennsylvania ensures voting continuity with stress-tested machines and backups, including roving technicians, emergency paper ballots, and extended hours if needed. Most counties use hand-marked ballots, allowing for manual verification. Trusted sources for updates are emphasized for reliable information.
Backup Plans in Pennsylvania Ensure Voting Continues Despite Machine Issues
Pennsylvania counties use a range of election equipment, including ballot-marking devices for in-person voting and machines for tabulating mail and absentee ballots. Each is put through rigorous logic and accuracy testing before Election Day.
However, unexpected breakdowns can occur. Pennsylvania has multiple backups so voters can still cast their ballots if voting machines fail.
Jeff Greenburg, a seasoned election director and senior advisor for The Committee of Seventy, explains that counties deploy roving technicians to address issues swiftly. Reports are sent from precincts to county election offices, and if unresolved, the county solicitor and Board of Elections decide on further action.
“If a voting location is significantly affected, the BOE might petition county courts to extend hours,” Greenburg noted.
On Election Day, county election offices communicate vital updates through their websites, social media, or local news outlets. Greenburg advises relying on trusted sources for information.
Counties also provide emergency paper ballots if machines cannot be repaired or replaced promptly.
Juniata County’s director of elections, Eva Weyrich, stated the county uses paper ballots with one machine tabulator per polling place. Even if a tabulator fails, voters can still complete their ballots while waiting for repairs. Weyrich emphasized the county’s preference for hand-marked paper ballots, allowing hand-count verification of machine accuracy.
Forty-seven counties have voters fill in ballots by hand, while 27 use voting machines that print paper ballots for post-election audits.
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