Problems at Selinsgrove poll location raises concern

Nov. 6—SELINSGROVE — Long lines and improper requests for additional forms of IDs from voters at a polling location in Selinsgrove on Tuesday were reported to Snyder County election officials who say problems were promptly addressed and no voter was disenfranchised.

Lines at polling stations were expected Tuesday, Snyder County Democratic Committee Chairman Christopher Kalcich said, but they became a problem at the 120 S. Market St. polling place in Selinsgrove "when the lines kept getting longer after 9 a.m."

For most of the day, voters were waiting up to two hours to cast their ballot, he said, prompting Kalcich and other poll watchers to report the problems and deliver water, pizza and snacks to people.

The Selinsgrove polling site had the lowest voter turnout among the county's 25 precincts at 62.73 percent, with 828 ballots cast in a precinct with 1,320 registered voters. Countywide, the voter turnout was nearly 83 percent.

The delays were partly caused by numerous first-time voters, including many Susquehanna University students, and several who brought either completed or uncompleted mail-in ballots which took additional time for poll workers to sort out and complicated the process, Kalcich said.

Most concerning, he said, were poll workers asking several voters to show more than one ID, which is not legally required.

"There were definitely some glitches and as soon as we found out about them they were addressed," county Elections Director Devin Rhoads said.

Poll workers were informed that only one form of photo identification could be requested to confirm an individual was properly registered to vote at the location.