Problem With Voting Machine Slows Voting at Library

It wouldn't be a major election without a technical glitch of some type.

Voting was slowed at the Tewksbury Library this morning when the ballot machine for Precinct 4 stopped functioning and would not accept ballots.

According to Town Clerk Denise Graffeo, a memory card in the machine failed and would not allow ballots to be accepted.

Graffeo said she contacted with the company that supplies the machines and they walked her through the process of replacing the memory card. While this was done, voters had to place their ballots in an auxiliary basket.

Once the machine was repaired all of the ballots cast so far had to be removed from the machine and re-submitted by hand, by an election worker, for the new memory card. The ballots that had been placed in the auxiliary basket were also submitted by hand.

All this was done under the watchful eye of a Tewksbury Police officer.

"Hopefully we can get through the day without another problem," said Graffeo.