Ballot Tabulator Malfunction Disrupts Greensboro Early Voting; Officials Say Ballots Secured

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A mechanical problem with a ballot tabulator temporarily disrupted early voting Friday, October 23, at Craft Recreation Center on Yanceyville Road, according to the Guilford County Board of Elections. Election officials said voters were able to place ballots in a secure emergency bin while the normal scanning process was interrupted.

Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said the emergency-ballot procedure followed state law and State Board of Elections guidance. Some voters used the secure bin, while others chose to return later. Officials said designated poll workers processed ballots affected by the malfunction under established procedures.

The incident involved a ballot tabulator, the machine that scans and records paper ballots. A machine failure does not by itself establish that votes were lost, changed or improperly counted. Election administrators use contingency procedures so voting can continue when equipment must be repaired or replaced.

WXII reported that more than 5,000 people had voted at the Craft site during the early voting period, although that figure was a cumulative site total and not the number affected by Friday's problem. Officials had not provided a precise count of voters delayed or ballots placed in the emergency bin at the time of the report.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections says trained officials can repair a malfunctioning tabulator or replace it with a certified and tested backup. The board's guidance is designed to protect both ballot custody and the continuity of voting during equipment problems.

Early voting for the November 3 general election continues through October 31. Residents should check their county's official polling-site schedule before traveling, particularly for weekend hours, which vary by location. The Greensboro incident is a reminder that voters can ask on-site election officials how their ballots will be handled if equipment is unavailable.