Emergency Ballots Being Printed In Barnstable

Update: State officials will allow Barnstable voters to go to the polls until midnight Tuesday following a delay in the start of voting early Tuesday morning. Read more here: Voting Delayed In Barnstable Due To Vault Problem: SoC

BARNSTABLE, MA — Emergency ballots are being printed in Barnstable as the vault which houses ballots in the town remains inaccessible, according to town officials.

The locked vault is to blame for the voting delay in Barnstable, the town's Director of Communications said, which forced polls to open later than 7 a.m. on primary election day.

The emergency ballots will provide a fix to get the voting underway, but will also cause needed alterations.

Paper ballots will be identical to machine-readable ballots, but will need to be hand-counted at the end of the night. Additionally, town officials hinted that an order to extend the closing of the polls may be coming.

"The Secretary of the Commonwealth's office is exploring all options available to make sure everyone in Barnstable is able to vote today. This may include seeking an order to extend the closing of the polls in Barnstable, if necessary," officials said.

In addition to state and county races on the ballot in Barnstable, the town also has a special election for the town council in precincts 3 and 5.

Read more: 2022 MA Primary In Barnstable: What To Know About Sept. 6 Election