Voting in one Pa. county extended due to issues with ballot scanning machines

Voters in one Pennsylvania county will have an extra two hours to vote Tuesday after ballot-scanning machines in some precincts failed to work.

Voting in Cambria County is extended to 10 p.m., according to a petition for emergency relief filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Cambria County.

The county's Board of Elections requested the extension after voters on Tuesday could not scan ballots due to a software issue with the machines.

"The malfunction caused voter confusions, long lines of voters, and many individuals left the polling locations without casting a ballot," according to the petition.

Several voters reported issues at polling places in Cambria County.

Dave Luciew, of Johnstown and brother of PennLive reporter John Luciew, said the ballot box counter at his precinct at the Geistown Elks Club in Geistown was not working this morning.

Luciew said some voters refused to leave the polling place until their ballots were counted.

In a video shared on X, Republican poll watchers told Luciew the machines' flash drives are not synched up, and new ones will need to be installed.

In a statement, the Pennsylvania Department of State said it has been in contact with Cambria County officials and voters are continuing to vote by paper ballot until the issue with in-precinct scanning is resolved.

"We are working with the county to resolve this technical matter and are committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election," the department said.