UNITED STATES—More than a dozen polling stations nationwide reported that they ran out of the paper to print ballots during the General Election on November 8.
On November 10, video posted on Facebook went viral after a polling station in Harris County, Texas, ran out of paper early in the day. The video captures the poll workers’ responses at the polling station.
Harris County Election Judges reported 21 election sites with paper shortages. Some ran out of paper as early as 7:30 a.m.
Election judges called the incident, “Unacceptable.” Another noted it was not an accident and promised to investigate the incident.
One election worker called the day, “The worst experience I have had in 40 years.” People were showing up to cast their ballot and were turned away. Voters were sent to other polling stations, but according to one poll worker, “there was no guarantee they would go.”
The largest city in Harris County is Houston. According to U.S. Census, the population of Harris County in 2020, was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States.
One poll worker in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania called the paper shortage, “A nightmare.”
Judge Les Gelb in Luzerne County left the polls open until 10 p.m. “Voters in Luzerne County, through no fault of their own, were disenfranchised and denied the fundamental right to vote,” Judge Gelb stated. All ballots have not been counted as of November 18.
