Columbus County precinct extends voting by an hour due to technical difficulties

RIEGELWOOD, NC (WWAY) — A voting precinct in Columbus County will stay open an hour longer due to technical difficulties.

A decision to alter voting hours came from a State Board of Elections meeting Tuesday afternoon.

As a result of the meeting, the Ransom Event Center in Riegelwood, which originally planned to close at 7:30 p.m., will now allow voting until 8:30 p.m. because of a voting machine error when voting began.

Issues occurred at multiple voting locations in Columbus County, but the Board only voted to extend hours at the Ransom Event Center because voters at other precincts were eventually able to vote.

Most of those at the Ransom Event Center who didn’t vote came back later and cast a ballot.

“We do know that several of the precincts, and not very many. Several of the precincts had technical, mechanical glitches. One other place –that some people left their names, they returned and they voted. So, they know that nobody missed voting. As soon as it was discovered that there were issues, staff and there was someone from the state –were on it, to correct it,” said Katherine Horne, Columbus County Board of Elections chairperson.

If there are any other issues for voters, they will be offered provisional ballots to fill out.