The Luzerne County Bureau of Elections is reporting no global or widespread problems with polling places or equipment so far on this Tuesday's Election Day. The overwhelming majority of issues encountered were the result of user error and were quickly resolved by the active support staff.

They say that Luzerne County tested and programmed over 1,000 pieces of voting equipment, including poll books, tabulators, and touch screens. As of 11:00 a.m. one tabulator was replaced due to a power issue and 4 poll book units were replaced, again due to a power issue.

According to Director of Elections Michael Susek, “Our poll workers are doing a fantastic job, and sometimes they need assistance troubleshooting. Since 5:45 a.m. we have addressed a steady stream of minor, routine issues ranging from poll workers entering passcodes into the wrong field to not turning on the battery units. Our Election Day support team includes our full-time staff, technical phone support, on-site representatives from our equipment vendors, and a team of rovers that can be deployed to any location that needs hands-on assistance.”

Several polling places ran into last-minute staffing changes. At least one site did not open until close to 7:00 a.m. due to the building not being unlocked. The vast majority of polling places were fully staffed.

“These are routine issues. After the Primary Election, we will be working with our vendors to make sure any power issues are addressed prior to November."