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John Hollenhorst ReportingUtah County officials were eventually able to fix or work around the encoding problem at polling places this morning and the manufacturers of the machines will look at it after the elections is over. But where does the buck stop?
We may not know what went wrong for a couple of weeks. The machine manufacturer isn't allowed to investigate by poking into the electronic records until after the election is certified. However, the early-morning mess does suggest a need for new procedures or training.
For weeks Utah's Lieutenant Governor has been getting out of bed and urging us to vote early. Today those got out of bed in Utah County may have wished they'd followed Gary Herbert's advice.
Scott Harris, Provo: "There's quite a big line. And apparently the machines are broken."
It wasn't the machines, exactly; it was the encoders, the little things that look like calculators. For some reason, at 112 out of 118 precincts in Utah County the encoders wouldn't put the proper codes on voter access cards. When voters inserted the cards in the voting machines, they didn't work.
Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert: "We've had glitches from elections immemorial, this is just a different kind of a glitch, it's something that's a momentary glitch."
At nearly all other polling places around the state, the new technology worked smoothly, with little confusion for voters.
Debbie Thompson, Taylorsville ElectionJudge: "Those that have said they might need help were happy to find out they didn't need help."
In Utah County many election judges quickly figured out how to bypass the problem, by encoding the cards in the voting machines themselves. But at 32 locations there was confusion and delay.
Robert Godfrey, Provo: "They told us the electronics were down here and nobody can vote right now."
That was the wrong message to voters, according to officials. State law allows anyone to use a provisional paper ballot.
Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert: "I think there was probably a miscommunication with some of the poll workers, maybe that's a training issue."
The encoders and cards were programmed and tested earlier by county officials. After they were delivered to polling places, county officials say they couldn't be retested. The machines are officially sealed until the official opening at 7am.
Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert: "I don't know that we're trying to fix any blame, this is the first time we've done it. These are human beings involved with this new process."
Two weeks from now, Herbert plans to convene a meeting with county officials to figure out what went wrong and how it can be done better. Meanwhile, he's urging anyone who got discouraged and didn't vote to go back and try again.
