Nov. 5, 2024 11:45a
(WGTD)---A few hiccups at the polls in the WGTD listening area have been reported on this soggy election day.
Delays occurred early this morning at two polling places in Mt. Pleasant as workers scurried to get the right machines at the right locations.
Tabulators are programmed to work at specific sites, and two of them--the ones delivered to Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church and Holy Cross Lutheran Church--got mixed up, according to village spokesman Sean Ryan. The machines were relocated, and were functioning normally before 8 a.m.
But the mess prompted at least one voter who was in a time bind to leave the line before casting his ballot. He told WGTD's Greg Berg that he planned to return during the noon hour.
In the Town of Wheatland, a tabulator programming problem caused a brief delay, according to Kenosha County Clerk Regi Waligora. Voters were able to fill out their ballots as they usually do, but then the ballots were slipped into a lock box below the tabulator for counting once the machine was working. Things were back to normal within 90 minutes, Waligora said, and the stored ballots were counted.
The only other issue was a dispute over how close an election observer could get to the action at Lincoln Park in the city. The matter was resolved to everyone's satisfaction once Waligora arrived on the scene.
Rain showers prompted one county clerk to advise voters to make sure water doesn't drip on their ballot as the tabulators work best when ballots are completely dry.
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