Printer’s error may cause election results delay in Nevada County
TRUCKEE, Calif. – A printer’s error on vote-by-mail ballots could delay election results from the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election due to readability issues. Luckily, the problem was immediately identified and is being addressed to ensure accuracy.
It is unclear at this time how many of the nearly 77,000 ballots issued are affected by the error. To date, the Elections Office has already received about 13,500 ballots.
“We have identified an issue with ink overspray on some ballots that is preventing our election equipment from processing those ballots. The error isn’t visible to the naked eye, and did not come up in our pre-election testing” said Registrar of Voters Natalie Adona. “To ensure every vote is counted, we will review all affected ballots and rescan using in-house printers so they can be processed. This procedure requires more steps than usual but maintains the integrity of the election, and all steps will be carefully monitored to ensure accuracy and transparency.”
Adona is strongly encouraging anyone interested to observe the ballot counting and rescanning process at the Elections Office at 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City. Anyone may simply show up at the office and ask to observe. The office is open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 4 and will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.
Adona is further encouraging voters to continue voting early.
“Fortunately, we were able to identify this issue ahead of time and have a plan to solve it. The more ballots we have in our office, the faster we can resolve any issues that might arise. We’re thankful to our partners at Runbeck, Hart Intercivic, and the Secretary of State for helping us chart a path forward so that all votes will be counted.”
A similar printer’s error occurred previously in Orange and San Joaquin counties, but has never occurred before in Nevada County. The Nevada County Elections Office has worked with the printer, Runbeck, for five years without incident.
For details about Nevada County Elections, including vote center hours and locations, visit http://www.NevadaCountyCa.gov/November5Election.
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