Machines' problems led to hand counts
Results delayed in 19 Ky. counties

By Brandy Warren
bwarren@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Voting results in 19 Kentucky counties were delayed Tuesday night because of problems with tabulation machines made by Harp Enterprises.

Counties had problems tabulating results and scanning absentee ballots, which in some cases delayed final voting results until yesterday.
 
"The important thing is that it's not the (voting) machines, it's the tabulator," said Les Fugate, a director of communications in the office of the secretary of state.

Fugate said county Board of Elections offices tabulate results from each voting machine to confirm a winner. Five counties, including Bullitt, were not able to complete their counts Tuesday. They hand-counted the ballots yesterday.

"Yes, it's frustrating and we are as frustrated as anyone else," Fugate said. "The important thing is that no votes were compromised."

Fugate said he doesn't know what caused the tabulator problems. He said he believes the machines just have to be fixed, not replaced.

The affected counties were Bell, Bourbon, Boyle, Bullitt, Breckinridge, Daviess, Grant, Henry, LaRue, Livingston, Marion, Nelson, Pulaski, Scott, Union, Warren, Wayne, Webster and Woodford.

Also yesterday, Attorney General Greg Stumbo announced that his Election Fraud Hotline received 235 complaints between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Election Day. The most common complaint concerned electronic voting machine irregularities.

Fifty-five voters across Kentucky expressed concerns about the new voting machines, ranging from fears that votes had not been counted to allegations that votes were being switched.