No Surprise: RI Had a Computer Problem at the Polls

TIVERTON, RI – The voting machines didn't work as expected today at several polling places, including Middletown, Tiverton and Providence's East Side.

But the Secretary of State's office was on it.

“I take my role as Rhode Island’s Chief Elections Officer very seriously," said Nellie Gorbea, the secretary of state.

"There are some locations experiencing delays. We have determined that these are locations with two-sheet ballots," she said.

Here's why.

"Whereas the old machines read the markings on a ballot and recorded the results, the new DS200 machines scan and encrypt ballot images into memory," she said. "This is an extra security measure that is a leading industry standard, but has a slightly longer processing time. This processing time has been compounded in some high turnout locations, resulting in longer wait times."

To pick up the pace, the Board of Elections has authorized "second machines to be deployed to several high volume polling places."