Once again, it was a less-than-perfect day for America’s electoral infrastructure, with sporadic reports of broken machines, ballot misprints, confusing rules and long lines.
As the elections drew to a close Tuesday, despite the early complaints, there did not appear to be any catastrophic breakdowns that could affect a national vote that looked likely to change the balance of power in Washington.
In Virginia, at least one voting machine in the 2nd Congressional District appeared to count a vote for the GOP as a vote for the Democratic candidate instead.
A video posted to YouTube Tuesday appears to show a voter repeatedly trying to mark a vote for incumbent U.S. Rep. E. Scott Rigell, the Republican candidate. But every time the voter touched Mr. Rigell’s name, the Democratic candidate’s name — Suzanne Patrick — was marked instead.
The Washington Times could not independently validate the authenticity of the video, though similar problems with touchscreen devices like the voting machine have been reported in the past. The Virginia Department of Elections could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Virginia voter Chris Ball, who shot the video, told The Washington Times he recorded the video at 7:30 a.m. when he voted in Virginia Beach.
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“I reached out to the poll worker when I first noticed it before I shot the video and asked if he thought it was suspicious,” Mr. Ball said. The worker told him it was a “calibration issue” — meaning the machine was likely detecting the finger being pressed below where it actually was.
“Every time I kept hitting on top of the box it kept going to the Democrat. Finally I got the box I wanted,” Mr. Ball said, adding that he had no problems on the next page while voting for the city council.
Jim Martin, Chairman of the 60 Plus Association — a conservative group that advocates for senior rights — said he wants election officials to take the problems with the voting machines seriously.
“We know many of these elections will be razor-close,” Mr. Martin said. “We can’t have a situation where voters lose faith in the basic integrity of the ballot they cast.”
In Texas, the Republican candidate for governor wasn’t listed on the ballot in at least one precinct, a voting fraud watchdog reported.
As millions of Texans went to the polls to vote for their next governor, Republican candidate Greg Abbott was apparently left off the ballot in at least one precinct in Bexar County — an area that includes San Antonio.
Listed where Mr. Abbott’s name was supposed to be on the electronic screen was instead David Dewhurst, a former candidate for lieutenant governor.
True the Vote, a voting watchdog, said that Bexar County election officials were notified of the problem and are investigating how widespread it is.
On Twitter, Mr. Abbott’s campaign asked voters to report any other anomalies they might see.
There were other voting problems reported around the country. The Florida Democratic Party filed a motion to keep polls open in some counties until 9 p.m., saying that some ballot machines weren’t working and that citizens had difficulty finding their polling place.
“If the court does not immediately issue an order requiring defendant to extend the voting hours, a number of Florida citizens’ right to vote in the 2014 election will be forever lost,” wrote the Democratic officials who are supporting Charlie Crist in the election.
Likewise, Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy, a Democrat, asked a judge to extend voting hours after delays and other problems were reported at polling stations around Hartford, CNN reported.
And Colorado Republicans said they are concerned about Boulder County Clerk Hillary Hall, who they said has refused to allow poll watchers to observe ballot-validation processes, and is not checking the authenticity of signatures on mail-in ballots. A county judge dismissed the GOP complaint.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, dispatched members of its Civil Rights Division to monitor the voting in 18 states to ensure there was no discrimination that might keep voters away from the polls.
“The integrity of our elections, and the ability of our citizens to access the franchise, are fundamental to who we are — both as a nation and as a people,” said Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
• Valerie Richardson contributed to this report.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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