Prince George’s County runs into ballot issues on Election Day

Voters at the Robert J. DiPietro Community Center in Laurel faced waits of more than two hours Tuesday after the site ran out of paper ballots, with some leaving without voting because they needed to get back to work.

Bonnie Sermons, an election monitor volunteer with Common Cause, said the Laurel site appeared to have only one electronic machine, adding that it typically has two or three. When she arrived shortly before 1 p.m., she spoke with a voter who had been waiting since 9:30 a.m.

Election monitors ordered pizza and water, which arrived shortly after a woman had fainted.

Ballots at the site were later replenished, though officials didn’t say what had caused the issue.

Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s top election official, acknowledged the issue with paper ballots in Prince George’s County.

“We’re working with the local board of elections, making sure that supplies and more equipment is being deployed to all those locations, and starting to prepare for the late evening rush,” he said.

DeMarinis said he did not have a firm number of affected locations and was not ready to say what went wrong.

“Diagnoses are great for post-election,” he said. “Right now, the biggest thing is making sure voters are voting. It’s a robust turnout, and that’s the focus.”

Brandywine Elementary School did not have correct ballots Tuesday morning, which was later corrected, Prince George’s County Board of Elections administrator Wendy Honesty-Bey told The Banner. That polling location was also reported to have a backup of voters.

Miya White waited more than three hours to cast her ballot in Laurel, even as other voters left the line. She said she stayed because voting mattered to her and her manager was understanding, though she missed a flight to Boston.

“It is hectic,” White said. “The people are trying their best to be patient, but there is only one scanner.”

Amelia Sullivan, a Laurel resident who lives minutes from the community center, said she was determined to make her voice heard despite the long wait.

“Something has to change,” Sullivan said of the economy. “I want my voice to be heard. I have the ability to vote, and I want to make sure I vote.”

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