Incorrect ballots, a jammed tabulator and registration confusion caused hiccups at the polls in Hartford this morning but didn't stop voters from coming out in force.
Several people received the wrong ballot while voting at the Rawson School in Hartford Tuesday.
The moderator confirmed that about a half dozen voters received ballots for district 10. Rawson Elementary is district 7.
The issue surfaced when the tabulator would not accept the ballots. The voters were given the correct ballot and the votes then went through.
Despite minor problems, most voters at Rawson were happy to be voting in this election. Many were long-time voters, but there were some first-time voters mixed in.
First time voter Nickette Duckworth was thrilled waiting in line this morning and showed up at 5 a.m. She said being a mother to five girls is what drove her to vote.
“I have all girls and I need a future for them. So I had to come out,” she said.
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Some, like Yolanda McDonald-Wesley, brought children with them so the kids could see democracy in action.
“They’ve been watching the whole presidential campaign with me so I wanted them to see it is very important and what actually happens,” she explained.
She said she and her children have been watching what she calls the “craziest and possibly worst” election season yet.
“The most up and down one I’ve ever seen and I just hope the right person gets voted into office,” she told NBC Connecticut.
There were some issues at the polls this morning. Some voters were being told they were not registered, even though they’d voted at this polling location for several years, including last year.
“It’s a vote that they’re going to lose if I don’t do something. But something is wrong where I can’t vote and I am a registered voter,” said David Hardeman.
One issue was that voters were lining up by last name when the lists went off street name. Another was that some voters not on the list had to be written in. And the tabulator jammed at one point as well.
But the moderator and staff have been working to correct those problems and make sure every vote gets counted.
State officials are expecting high voter turnout this year, so residents are encouraged to get to the polls early and expect at least a 30-minute wait.
Voters with concerns can contact the Secretary of the State's voter hotline at 1-866-733-2463. Voters can also report issues to the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters at 860-521-3030.
