PA Counties Said Unprepared to Serve Voters, Meet Court Order for Emergency Paper Ballots

[BradBlog]

PA Counties Said Unprepared to Serve Voters, Meet Court Order for Emergency Paper Ballots
Election Official: '80% of Counties Do Not Have Emergency Ballots'...

In the suburban county of Montgomery, just outside of Philadelphia, election officials have, inexcusably, been caught off guard by a new, court-mandated directive by PA's Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes.

The directive requires that counties have enough emergency paper ballots (EPBs) on hand at polling places to ensure that voters can vote if half, or more, of a precinct's voting machines break down. County officials admit today that they were completely unprepared for the directive, and even for the likelihood of serious machine failure, despite known problems with the touch-screen voting systems they use, or the unprecedented voter turnout long-predicted for next Tuesday.

The admissions from the Election Director in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania's third largest, are extraordinary...

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6597

Related previously...
Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Plaintiff Demand for Emergency Paper Ballots in PA
Ballots Must Given Out if 50% or More Voting Machines in Any Precinct Breaks Down
UPDATED TWICE THRICE: Troubling Statement from SoS Now Somewhat Mitigated by Newly Issued Directive; New Updates Include Directive, Response to BRAD BLOG from Plaintiffs' Attorney...
FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6588

[renate]

1. for pete's sake, this is America

Voting shouldn't be difficult or impossible, it shouldn't even be any more inconvenient than a trip to the grocery store--and there certainly shouldn't be a mad rush to fix the obvious just a few days before the biggest election ever.

Good lord, how the rest of the world must laugh at us. We swagger around going "look at us, we're a democracy, let us show you how to do it right "--while behind the curtain chaos reigns.