New Scanners Tally Votes Smoothly
People In Line By 8 P.M. Will Get To Vote

NBCSanDiego? November 2, 2004
SAN DIEGO Election officials in San Diego County said there have been no serious problems with the new optically scanned paper ballots during Tuesday's election.

The county switched to the paper ballots after state authorities banned the touch-screen voting machines that were used during last year's gubernatorial recall vote. The touch-screen machines had replaced San Diego County's old punch-card ballots, which also were prohibited.

The company that was contracted to supply the touch-screen machines, Diebold Election Systems, is providing the optical scanners to the county for free.

In cases where a scanner malfunctions, election workers have been instructed to continue letting people vote, San Diego County Registrar of Voters Sally McPherson said. The ballots will be collected in a special box and scanned later.

"Every ballot will be scanned," McPherson told NBC 7/39.

Long lines were reported at many polling places Tuesday. At the University of California, San Diego, about 300 people were lined up to vote in five booths at about 5 p.m. The wait time was estimated at about two hours. But McPherson said that everyone will be allowed to vote as long as they are in line by 8 p.m., when polls close.

Local voters are deciding a host of issues, including San Diego's mayor and city attorney, the fate of a controversial landfill, and more. Before the election began, the county Registrar of Voters office predicted a turnout of 75 percent.

The Registrar of Voters Office will begin releasing absentee ballot results soon after polls close at 8 p.m. McPherson said the first precinct results are expected around 9:45 p.m.

Watch live election coverage on NBC 7/39 and get real-time election returns at NBCSandiego.com.