A deep-red county in Pennsylvania will be extending its voting deadline to 10:00 p.m. eastern following a software malfunction that prevented voters from scanning completed ballots.
The county’s court of common pleas ordered that Cambria County’s voting deadline will be extended two hours after county solicitor Ronald Repak filed an emergency petition due to the voting issues Tuesday morning, the Pennsylvania Department of State announced.
Repak told a local NBC affiliate that Cambria County’s board of election sent IT specialists to handle the software issue and will take “any necessary action” to make sure all votes are cast. He assured residents that nobody will be sent away from the polls if they would like to cast a vote.
President Judge Linda Rovder Fleming ordered that provisional ballots be used after Pennsylvania’s 8 p.m. deadline to tally the remainder of Cambria County’s votes. The two-hour extension gives extra time to people who may have left the polls to come back and cast a vote, Fleming said.
A video circulated widely on social media showing county residents describing the problems people were having with casting votes. Republican leaders and activists urged voters to stay in line to ensure they are able to cast their ballots.
“We understand that there are some line delays on the ground. We need you to stay in line. We need you to fill out your ballot in full and deliver it. Our Pennsylvania lawyers are all over this issue and will ensure fairness and accuracy in the process,” Republican National Committee chairman Michael Watley said on X.
GOP co-chair Lara Trump celebrated the Cambria County extension and reminded people to stay in line to vote.
“Good news on Cambria County! We successfully secured a court order extending voting hours until 10 PM to make up for long lines,” Lara Trump said.
“STAY IN LINE! VOTE!”
Cambria County went overwhelmingly for then-president Donald Trump four years ago, with 68 percent of voters picking him over Democratic rival Joe Biden. Pennsylvania is a toss-up state this election cycle and Republicans will be hoping to gain every vote they can out of deep-red areas in the middle of the state.
“The Department of State is in contact with county officials in Cambria County. Voters are continuing to vote by paper ballot, in accordance with normal operations, while the county resolves the issue with in-precinct scanning,” the Pennsylvania department of state announced Tuesday morning.
“We are working with the County to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election.”
Polling averages show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are virtually tied in Pennsylvania, making it a vital state for both campaigns. Down ballot, polls have Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D) slightly leading over Republican challenger Dave McCormick, who narrowed the race down the stretch of the campaign.
The state’s voting laws prevent officials from processing early and mail-in ballots until Election Day, which could mean that the winner of the all-import battleground state won’t be known until Wednesday, or perhaps even later depending on how tight the results are.