Allegheny County polling locations open late, voters share their disruptions

PITTSBURGH — Several polling locations across Allegheny County opened late, missing the prime work commute and forcing voters to come back and try again.

“We can’t allow this kind of stuff to happen,” said Larissa Wolowec, an Allegheny County voter.

Wolowec votes in the Observatory Hill neighborhood and said usually there is no issue.

“When I went in the building, they told me that I couldn’t vote because the judge had not shown up with the ballots,” said Wolowec.

Upset and concerned, she began making calls.

“I didn’t even know who was in charge, but I wanted to find a phone number and see what’s going on,” said Wolowec.

Finally, she found an email address, and after a few hours she got a response:

The judge of elections at her precinct was sick and the ballots hadn’t arrived.

Over in Ross Township, county sheriffs had to deliver the ballots to one polling location that didn’t open until 9 a.m.

The WPXI-TV newsroom received multiple calls throughout the day about delayed openings in White Oak, Turtle Creek, Ross Township and Observatory Hill.

“It’s sometimes unlikely that they can come back later, that’s a problem, we can’t allow that to happen,” said Wolowec.

County officials responding to concerns confirmed if they were notified of a judge not showing up on time, that by 9:30 a.m. materials were delivered, and those locations opened.

“I am just sharing what I experienced in the hopes that I can help the whole system improve,” said Wolowec.

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