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Official provides update on ballot error that impacted thousands in Lancaster County

Official provides update on ballot error that impacted thousands in Lancaster County
BARBARA. JERRY, THAT MISTAKE INVOLVED A SUPERIOR COURT RACE AND VOTERS IN LIKE TWO COUNTY ACTUALLY CAUGHT THAT MISTAKE, NOTIFIED THE ELECTIONS OFFICE AND IT WAS THEIR ERROR, NOT AN ERROR BY THE PRINTING VENDOR, WHICH HAS HAPPENED HERE IN THE PAST. NOW THE NEW CORRECT BALLOTS WILL BEGIN TO BE SENT OUT NEXT WEEK. SO VOTERS SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THEM IN THEIR MAILBOXES. AND THOSE BALLOTS WILL LOOK LIKE THIS. THEY’LL HAVE AN ENVELOPE ON THE OUTSIDE AND IT WILL HAVE REPLACEMENT WRITTEN IN RED. THE COUNTY SENDING THEM OUT NEXT WEEK TO ABOUT 18,500 REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAD REQUESTED MAIL IN BALLOTS. NOW, ABOUT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM, SOME 15,000 BALLOTS WERE RECOVERED AT THE POST OFFICE BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY REACHED MAILBOXES. THE COUNTY ONLY RECEIVED A COUPLE HUNDRED OF THE INCORRECT MAIL LINES BACK. THE MISTAKE WAS INSTRUCTING VOTERS TO CHOOSE JUST ONE SUPERIOR COURT CANDIDATE AND THE TWO ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A SMOOTH ELECTION COMING FORWARD. EVERYONE SHOULD BE CONFIDENT THAT THEIR VOTE WILL BE COUNTED. THE ELECTIONS ARE SECURE. THE MAIL IN BALLOTING SYSTEM IS SECURE AND WE’RE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT. SO LOOK FOR THAT READ REPLACEMENT ON THE ENVELOPE IN YOUR MAILBOXES IN THE COMING WEEK OR TWO. VOTERS WHO FILLED OUT THE INCORRECT BALLOT AND ALREADY SENT IT IN AND DON’T USE THE REPLACEMENT, THEY’LL STILL HAVE THEIR VOTE COUNTED. NOW, THE COUNTY SAYS ALL THIS EXTRA PRINTING OF THE NEW BALLOTS IS GOING TO COST MORE MONEY. THEY DID NOT PUT A PRICE TAG ON IT, BUT SAYS THEIR ELECTION COVERAGE BUDGET SHOULD COVER IT.
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Official provides update on ballot error that impacted thousands in Lancaster County
Lancaster County Commissioner John Trescot, who is the chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Elections, held a news conference Thursday about an error made on thousands of ballots.Video below: Full news conference.What was the mistake?Earlier this week, WGAL reported that new mail-in ballots were being sent to more than 18,500 voters in Lancaster County for the upcoming May Municipal Primary.About 15,000 ballots were recovered at post offices before they reached mailboxes. The county only recent a couple hundreds of the incorrect ballots back.The original ballots told voters to pick one candidate in a judicial race when it should have said to pick up to two candidates.The county will start sending out corrected ballots next week. "We're looking forward to a smooth election. Everyone should be confident that their vote will be counted. The elections are secure. The mail-in balloting system is secure, and we're moving forward with it," Trescot said.Reprinting the ballots will cost the county more. Elections officials didn't put a price tag on it but said the budget will cover it.Previous ballot issuesThis isn’t the first time there have been issues with Lancaster County mail-in ballots.In May 2022, mail-in ballots failed to scan because of an incorrect code. The problem delayed counting because 16,000 ballots had to be counted by hand.In May 2021, there were also problems with mail-in ballots. In that case, about 12,300 ballots were printed out of order, preventing scanners from reading them. Again, those ballots had to be tallied by hand.
LANCASTER, Pa. —

Lancaster County Commissioner John Trescot, who is the chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Elections, held a news conference Thursday about an error made on thousands of ballots.

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Video below: Full news conference.

What was the mistake?

Earlier this week, WGAL reported that new mail-in ballots were being sent to more than 18,500 voters in Lancaster County for the upcoming May Municipal Primary.

About 15,000 ballots were recovered at post offices before they reached mailboxes. The county only recent a couple hundreds of the incorrect ballots back.

The original ballots told voters to pick one candidate in a judicial race when it should have said to pick up to two candidates.

The county will start sending out corrected ballots next week.

"We're looking forward to a smooth election. Everyone should be confident that their vote will be counted. The elections are secure. The mail-in balloting system is secure, and we're moving forward with it," Trescot said.

Reprinting the ballots will cost the county more. Elections officials didn't put a price tag on it but said the budget will cover it.

Previous ballot issues

This isn’t the first time there have been issues with Lancaster County mail-in ballots.

In May 2022, mail-in ballots failed to scan because of an incorrect code. The problem delayed counting because 16,000 ballots had to be counted by hand.

In May 2021, there were also problems with mail-in ballots. In that case, about 12,300 ballots were printed out of order, preventing scanners from reading them. Again, those ballots had to be tallied by hand.