Prince George’s County voters face hours-long lines as ballot supplies fail

Working residents of Prince George’s County encountered major disruptions at polling stations on Tuesday, with wait times exceeding two hours at the Robert J. DiPietro Community Center in Laurel. The delays resulted from a shortage of paper ballots and a limited number of electronic voting machines. Some voters abandoned the line to return to work, while others waited until the afternoon to cast their ballots.

The issues first emerged in the morning hours. At the Brandywine Elementary School site, the board of elections discovered the wrong ballots were loaded. Administrator Wendy Honesty-Bey stated the error was corrected later that morning. A backup of voters also formed at that location. The situation at the Laurel community center deteriorated as the day progressed. Election monitors reported the site had only one electronic machine available, a number significantly lower than the two or three typically installed there.

Bonnie Sermons, a volunteer with Common Cause, arrived at the Laurel site shortly before 1 p.m. She spoke with a voter who had been waiting since 9:30 a.m. Monitors ordered pizza and water for the crowd. The delivery arrived shortly after one woman fainted. Officials later replenished the paper ballots but did not immediately explain the cause of the shortage.

Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s state election director, confirmed the paper ballot issue in Prince George’s County. He said state officials were coordinating with the local board to deploy additional supplies and equipment. DeMarinis noted that the state was preparing for the late evening rush. He declined to provide a specific count of affected locations. “Diagnoses are great for post-election,” DeMarinis said. “Right now, the biggest thing is making sure voters are voting. It’s a robust turnout, and that’s the focus.”

Miya White waited more than three hours at the Laurel site. She stayed in line because she felt voting was essential, even though her manager allowed her to stay and she missed a flight to Boston. “It is hectic,” White said. “The people are trying their best to be patient, but there is only one scanner.” Amelia Sullivan, a local resident, also waited at the community center. “Something has to change,” Sullivan said of the economy. “I want my voice to be heard. I have the ability to vote, and I want to make sure I vote.”

The local board of elections continues to manage voter flow at affected sites. State officials remain on site to monitor the deployment of additional equipment. No further timeline was announced for when all polling places would return to standard staffing levels.