On Resolution of Voting Issues In Northampton County, PA

Following reports of issues with voting machines in Northampton County, PA printing ballots with errors in two judicial races, Informing Democracy Election Law Counsel David Goldman shared this statement in response:

“Voter confidence in the outcome of our elections is key to protecting our democracy from attacks by election deniers and subverters. That’s why it was encouraging to see that Northampton County quickly addressed the issue, confirming that the tabulation accurately reflected voters' selections and effectively communicating with voters to ensure confidence in the outcome of the election.

"This is an example of the resiliency of our election system and the expertise of local election workers in action. While every effort should be made to test systems to prevent glitches like this, if they do arise, a proactive response and transparency are key to instilling voters' faith in our elections and ensuring the accuracy of results.”

Additional Background:

• As reported by Votebeat and Spotlight PA, Northampton County said it experienced an error with voting machines that caused retention votes for two Pennsylvania Superior Court candidates to be improperly printed on some voters’ paper ballots. Regardless of the glitch, voters' correct selections were accurately recorded on the machines.

• Northampton County said it instructed its poll workers to communicate with voters proactively about the issue before they cast their ballots.

• The county petitioned the court to extend voting hours, but the court found no reason to extend them given that the issue was being proactively addressed and voting was not impeded.