HONOLULU (AP) – State elections officials acknowledge they failed to order enough paper ballots for Oahu, causing long waits for a turn at electronic voting machines and leading many people to walk away in frustration without casting a vote.
The Office of Elections said Wednesday an investigation into Election Day problems could take weeks, but initial findings show officials simply underestimated the number of ballots needed.
At least 69 polling places reported low-ballot problems, some as early at 10 a.m. on Election day. At least 23 locations in Mililani, Waianae, Kailua, Waimanalo and elsewhere ran short of paper ballots before the close of polls Tuesday, and many had to stay open late to accomodate all the voters in line.
Officials say there’s no way to know how many people decided lines were too long and left without voting. Most polling stations had only one electronic voting machine on site.
Gina Mangieri will have a full report on the problems, the cause, and what happens next tonight on the KHON2 News at 5, 6, and 10.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
