In Central Iowa's Story County, which is home to approximately 100,000 residents and includes the city of Ames, there were reports of voting machines malfunctioning during the recent election. This raised concerns about potential delays in reporting the results.
A spokesperson for the Iowa Secretary of State's Office acknowledged the technical issues with tabulators in some precincts in Story County. However, it was emphasized that these issues did not prevent voters from casting their ballots. The problem mainly affected the speed at which results could be reported.
Story County Auditor Lucy Martin confirmed that voting machines at around 12 out of the county's 45 polling locations failed to read certain ballot styles. As a result, election workers had to resort to manual counting at those specific locations, as indicated by local Democratic and Republican party officials.
Despite the machines being tested prior to the election, the exact cause of the technical difficulties remained unknown. Efforts were underway to address the issues in collaboration with the vendor and the Secretary of State's Office.
The situation in Story County serves as a reminder of the importance of contingency plans and preparedness in the electoral process. While the malfunctioning machines posed challenges, election officials were committed to ensuring that every vote was accurately counted and that the integrity of the election was maintained.
