Printer issue left Wilson County voters waiting for hours to vote
ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, WRAL
NEWS COVERAGE. YOU CAN GO.
>> WHAT WENT WRONG? AND WILSON,
THAT WAS THE QUESTION ON VOTERS
MINDS YESTERDAY AS THEY WAITED
TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS AT
GARDNER'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND
WRAL'S GRACE TABLE WAS THERE
AND SHE EXPLAINS WHERE THE
BLAME LIES. ONE DAY LATER.
THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE AT
GARDNER'S ELEMENTARY ON
ELECTION TUESDAY CAME WITH THE
VERY FIRST VOTER AFTER 30
MINUTES. HE DID SEE THAT LINE
PICK UP A NEWS GETTING LONGER
AND LONGER TO THE STATE BOARD
OF ELECTIONS SAYS POLL WORKERS
WERE UNABLE TO PRINT VOTER
AUTHORIZATION FORMS BETWEEN
6.48. OH, 07:00AM SOME VOTERS
LEFT AFTER WAITING HOURS OR
TURNED AROUND ON THE WAY TO
THE SITE AND CAME BACK LATER
THAT EVENING WHEN THE PROBLEM
WAS FIXED, SOMETHING THIS
IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE.
>> IN THE UNITED STATES, IT
SHOULD BE OR THINGS IN PLACE TO
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS A GO
BEFORE YOU OPEN THE POLLS.
THE STATE BOARD SAYS THERE WAS
A BACKUP PLAN BUT THAT WILSON
COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
DIRECTOR TASHA BELL DIDN'T
FOLLOW IT AND TELL POLL WORKERS
TO SWITCH TO A MANUAL BACKUP
OPTION AND TAKE DOWN CONTACT
INFORMATION FOR ANYONE WHO LEFT
THE LINE. WHERE UNCLEAR AS TO
WHY THAT DID NOT OCCUR IN THIS
CASE. BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL.
>> THEY ARE SURE TO HAVE A
LESSONS LEARNED SESSION AS WE
TRY TO HELP HER GROW AS A
DIRECTOR, WE TOOK THOSE
COMMENTS TO TACO BELL. SHE SAYS
THE POLL WORKERS DIDN'T CONTACT
HER AND HAD TRAINING AND SHOULD
HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO SAFE AT
LINE DURING AND AFTER AN 8, 5,
30. AND THERE ARE ANY ISSUES
THEY CAN GIVE US A CALL AND
WE CAN TRY TO PATIENTS BY AN AL
BELL SAYS SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHY
WORKERS DIDN'T USE THAT BACKUP
OPTION OR GET CONTACT
INFORMATION FROM IMPACTED
VOTERS. WE ASKED HER DIRECTLY
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE MISHAP.
>> LIES WHAT IS OFTEN DON'T
SEE ALL OF IN THE WAR AND THEN
IT ACTUALLY HAD
>> I ASKED DIRECTOR BELL IF SHE
HAD ANY POINT AND WENT TO THE
LOCATION HERSELF TO SORT THINGS
OUT. SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T
BECAUSE SHE WAS HELPING OUT
ANOTHER POLLING SITE AND
BECAUSE WORKERS DIDN'T KEEP
TRACK OF WHO LEFT THE LINE,
THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE
THAT EVERY VOTER HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND