Virginia Looking Like Ground Zero For Voting Problems

Virginia, perhaps this year’s most crucial swing state, is also shaping up as the center for voting problems.

For weeks, voting-rights groups have been warning that the state — which does not allow early voting — has not adequately prepared for the huge turnout it was likely to see on election day. Last week, the NAACP filed suit, trying to require the state to extend voting hours and provide more voting machines in heavily-populated African-American areas. But the board of elections insisted it was following the law, and the effort failed.

And so, predictably, we’ve already seen a slew of problems in the state today.

The Nation reports:

As of 10:30 am ET, more than two dozen polling places across the state were reported to be close to a standstill because of machine failures, lack of back-up paper ballots and other problems. Dozens of other locations were experiencing abnormal delays and long lines, raising serious questions about the ability of Virginia voters to exercise their democratic rights before the scheduled close of voting at 7 pm.

Many of these problems were concentrated in key Democratic areas of the state, including the DC suburbs and the African-American heavy Hampton Roads area.

The Nation‘s report adds more detail:

Some polling locations did not open on time. In others, electronic or optical-scan voting machines failed to function properly. Precincts either did not have back-up paper ballots available, or else chose to regard them as provisional ballots–something they should not do, according to election lawyers. In Richmond, where it was raining, some voters accidentally got their ballots wet, causing the optical-scan readers processing the votes to jam.

Virginia’s governor, Tim Kaine, is a Democrat, and the head of the Board of Elections, Nancy Rodrigues, is a Kaine appointee.

John Greenbaum of Election Protection told the magazine: “The problems are so widespread, it’s going to take action on part of state election officials to deal with problems they are facing today. If they don’t, we might potentially have to seek other recourse.”