Camco retrieves uncounted votes; results unchanged
LISA GRZYBOSKI
Courier Post Online
Nov 14, 2007
Camco retrieves uncounted votes; results unchanged
Eight Camden County voting machines whose totals weren't counted on Election Day were opened Tuesday so their computer cartridges could be retrieved and examined.
Three of the machines recorded more than 400 votes while the other five machines had none, said Ken Shuttleworth, the county's spokesman.
The recovered votes didn't affect the outcome of any election or public question, he said.
Election officials counted about 60 votes on a machine used in Ward 2, District 2 of Gloucester City. The remainder of the votes came from two machines that operated in Ward 1, District 1 of Camden, Shuttleworth said.
A voting machine in District 5 of Cherry Hill broke down at 6:15 a.m. Election Day and was promptly closed. Another machine in Ward 3, District 3 of Winslow, which had a tight mayor's race, had a broken key and couldn't be opened, Shuttleworth said.
Also, because of light voter turnout, poll workers didn't use one voting machine at each of the following locations -- Ward 3, District 3 of Camden; District 4 of Oaklyn; and District 21 of Pennsauken.
Tuesday's count was necessary because election workers had failed to deliver the computer cartridges from the eight machines to the county's Superintendent of Elections Office after the polls closed Nov. 6. Officials could not retrieve the cartridges because voting machines are legally impounded for 15 days following an election.
Upon learning of the uncounted cartridges, the state Attorney General's Office petitioned the Superior Court in Camden County last week to let election officials open the voting machines.
Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon granted the request on Friday.
The county released the final vote totals for all the Election Day races and public questions late Tuesday morning.
The totals, which still have to be certified, can be found at the county's official Web site, www.camdencounty.com.
