Mercer has countywide vote tabulator glitch, but voting by machine continues

Voting machines throughout Mercer County are facing technical difficulties this morning, but no voters are being turned away and machine votes are still being cast.

The issue involves a programming glitch with optical scanners, which count votes after ballots are filled out.

Programmers from the voting machine manufacturer, Dominion, are in site trying to work through the problem, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.

“There is a slot on the top of the scanner and voters can vote and are voting manually,” said Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello.  “We are asking poll workers to use the official ballots because they can still vote them manually, and place them in the slot in the scanning machines and we will count them manually.”

While issues with optical scanners won’t prevent voting — ballots are still being printed properly – it could delay the counting of votes tonight.  That might impact the speed by which election return in Hamilton, Lawrence, East Windsor, Hightstown and Robbinsville – all towns in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district potentially impedes counts in the closely watched House race between Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) and Republican Bob Healey.

“We have many provisional ballots back in the county clerk’s office safe and poll workers are trained to call us if they need more,” Sollami Covello said.

Provisional ballots or emergency paper ballots are not being used at this time.