Bedford County voters deal with ballot shortages

Bedford County voters deal with ballot shortages

by Crispin Havener

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Bedford County voters had to wait longer to cast their ballots in some precincts because of a shortage in paper ballots.

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Debra Brown, Chief Clerk and Director of Elections for Bedford County, tells 6 News that they had to send more paper ballots to 14 precincts throughout the county. Bedford County precincts use both paper ballots and electronic machines, giving voters the choice of which one they would like to use.

Voters told 6 News they had to wait more than an hour in some instances when the paper ballots ran out. Brown said they got paper ballots to those locations as quickly as they learned of the issue and her office does not know of cases where voters walked out rather than waiting.

Bedford County saw a turnout of 58.97 percent, according to Brown. That's a more than 11 percent increase compared to the 2014 mid-term election.

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Brown said the county is looking at getting new voting machines but will continue to use paper ballots as well. "Paper is best for our county," Brown said.

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