Coding mistake caused ballot shortages at Chicago split precincts
The Board of Elections says a computer error transposed ballot quantities in 491 split precincts, leaving some voters waiting until after polls closed.
By Marco Alvarez ·
A coding error in the Chicago Board of Elections’ computer system caused ballot shortages at multiple polling locations on Election Day. The mistake affected how the board calculated the number of different ballot styles needed for precincts that sit on district lines. These split precincts often hold six or seven different ballots to accommodate voters from adjacent districts.
The error transposed the quantities of specific ballot styles. This meant some locations had too few ballots of one type and too many of another. Voters in the North, South, and West Sides reported long lines and ran out of paper ballots. In Pilsen, voter Eleazar Garza said, "I'm still waiting, and they're telling me I have to wait and wait." Meredith Anderer in the First Ward noted that her polling place told her they were out of paper ballots. Tahya Bailey in West Chatham added, "Yeah, they ran out of ballots. I'm just irritated, you see how irritated I am."
First Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata witnessed the shortage at the Goethe Elementary School polling location. He said he called the Board of Elections at 3:30 p.m. to request more paper ballots. The new ballots did not start arriving until two hours later. La Spata pointed out that many local school board races are decided by less than a percentage point, raising questions about the impact of the delays.
Julie Metea, a spokesperson for the Board of Elections, said the board determined the shortage was caused by a coding error in the computerized calculations for generating ballot style quantities. She stated that this is the first time the board has experienced this specific type of error. The board provided the correct total number of ballots for every precinct but miscounted the specific styles in some split precincts. There are 1,291 precincts in the city, and 491 are split precincts, accounting for 38% of all locations.
The board’s IT department has implemented additional automated validation checks and system safeguards. These measures are designed to identify and prevent similar issues before ballot quantities are sent to the printing vendor. An ongoing investigation will determine the total number of precincts that ran out of one or more ballot styles. Metea said the board does not yet know how widespread the shortages were.
Metea apologized to voters for the error that slowed lines at certain precincts. She thanked voters for their patience and fortitude in casting their votes. La Spata urged residents to voice concerns at the Chicago Board of Elections budget committee hearing scheduled for Nov. 9. He said, "The problem with trust is it is easily broken and very hard to repair."
