Washinton DC, [US], November 5 : Voting hours have been extended in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, due to a software malfunction that prevented voters from scanning their ballots, CNN reported on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Office of County Commissioners, "Voting time has been extended in Cambria County, Pennsylvania after a software malfunction disrupted voters' ability to scan their ballots."
Election officials in the county insist "there is a process in place for issues of this nature" and the malfunction "should not discourage voters from voting at their voting precincts."
"The Cambria County Board of Election learned early this morning that a software malfunction in the County's Electronic Voting System has prevented voters from scanning their ballots," the statement said.
The voters in the US are heading to vote in one of their most consequential elections, which will decide the direction of not just the US but also have an influence on global geopolitics for the next four years.
The polling hours will vary across the states, but most locations will vote between 6 am and 8 pm on Tuesday (local time).
The first polls will close at around 7 pm ET (5:30 am IST) in six states, including Georgia. The final polls will close in the blue state of Hawaii and in the red state of Alaska at 12 am ET (10:30 am IST). Total votes will close by 1 pm ET (11:30 am IST), following which counting will start. The results in small states can be projected soon after polling; some key battleground states may take hours to project the winner.
The main race is between the Democratic and Republican parties. Vice President Kamala Harris is the candidate of the incumbent Democrats, and she is aiming to create history by becoming the first woman president of the US. If elected, she will also be the first Indian-origin President of the United States.
On the other hand, the Republican candidate is former President Donald Trump, who is eyeing a historic comeback to the White House after a bitter exit in 2020. Notably, if Trump wins, it will be the first instance in over 100 years of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House.
Most of the polls have predicted a very close race between Trump and Harris.