Poll books at all precincts in Chester County, Pennsylvania, were found to be missing the names of third party and unaffiliated voters as polls opened for the November 4 general election. County officials said they are working to correct the error and deliver updated materials to polling locations.
“Chester County Voter Services has reported that the poll books at all precincts currently do not include the names of third party voters,” the county said in a statement released Tuesday morning. “Voter Services is in the process of sending supplemental poll books to all polling locations. Until those supplemental poll books are delivered, any registered voter whose name does not appear in the poll book may vote provisionally.”
The Pennsylvania Department of State later shared the county’s statement, attributing the issue to a printing error. “We are in contact with the county to help them address this quickly — in the meantime, unaffiliated voters can still vote safely and securely via provisional ballot at their polling place,” the department said.
Polls in Chester County will be open until 8 PM ET. Pennsylvania is one of the more heavily contested states by third parties this election cycle, with Independent Political Report identifying the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Forward, and Working Families parties as fielding or endorsing candidates in local races, though most are in communities outside the county.
Chester County Public Information Officer Rebecca Brain later told CBS News that the county is working to deliver corrected poll books to all 230 polling locations. Brain said officials are unsure how the error occurred but that Voter Services will conduct a formal review. According to CBS in the same report, Chester County has 385,856 registered voters, including 75,076 affiliated with third parties or no party designation.
Under Pennsylvania election law, provisional ballots allow voters to cast their vote while officials verify eligibility. County election boards have seven days after the election to determine whether each ballot will be counted. Voters who cast provisional ballots can track their status by entering the ballot ID online or by calling a phone line maintained by the state.
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