Ballot Scanner Malfunction Disrupts Special Election in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (VIDEO)

Thousands of Ohioans, particularly in the Akron region, headed to polling stations today for a special election. The focal point of this election is the decision on Issue 1, a measure that seeks to set stringent rules on public attempts to modify the state constitution.

Polling stations opened their doors at 6:30 a.m. and are expected to close by 7:30 p.m. On the table is a decision that, if passed per Akron Beacon Journal, would:

• Require 60% of voters to pass a new constitutional amendment, instead of a simple majority of 50% plus one.
• Require citizens who want to place an amendment on the ballot to collect signatures from at least 5% of voters from the last gubernatorial election in all 88 counties, instead of the current 44.
• Eliminate a 10-day cure period that allows citizens to replace any signatures deemed faulty by the secretary of state’s office.

However, a curveball was thrown in Cuyahoga Falls when News5’s Mike Holden reported ballot scanner issues.

“There’s a bit of an issue here… This has resulted in people not being able to cast their ballot immediately,” said Holden.

Affected voters were presented with two options: to store their ballots in an orange bag for later scanning or to nullify their ballot and return later. Distraught and frustrated, several voters reached out to the Board of Elections in Summit County for clarity.

WATCH:

#BREAKING: ALL ballot scanners are down & not working at Cuyahoga Falls polling location. Voters & workers frustrated. Ballots either placed in orange bag & scanned later OR can void ballot & come back later. Stay with @WEWS #Issue1 #OhioIssue1 #OhioElection #SpecialElection pic.twitter.com/2DD9Jd43rg

— Mike Holden (@MikeHoldenNews) August 8, 2023

Deputy Director Pete Zeigler claimed that there was no malfunction with any machines.

Instead, he pointed to poll workers’ unfamiliarity with the new voting machines as the source of the problems, according to Beacon Journal.

“These machines have not malfunctioned; this has only been happening because of poll workers struggling to learn the new equipment.” Zeigler said. “At no point was voting halted. They only swapped out machines as a precaution.”

Kari Lake took to Twitter to voice her frustrations, drawing parallels with Maricopa County and critiquing the Ohio Secretary of State.

“Sound familiar?? Looks like they took a page out of the Maricopa County “selections” playbook. Today is Election Day in Ohio and the machines don’t work. The swampy never-Trumper Ohio Secretary of State was too busy running for another office to do his job making sure Election Day runs smoothly. Reminds me of the jackasses who run Maricopa County elections when they sabotaged Election Day to stop the will of We the People. Wake up America,” Kari Lake wrote.

“Ohio has a big election today. The tabulators aren’t working and people are being asked to put their ballots into bags to be scanned later. Hmm,” Kari Lake wrote in a separate post.

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