31-01-2025
Cambria commissioners say printing error caused ballot problems, new protocols announced
EBENSBURG, Pa. – Election Day problems in Cambria County that caused widespread issues with ballots and delayed tabulation of votes were caused by a printing error due to an incorrect general election ballot communication, the county commissioners said Thursday.
In the months since the Nov. 5 election, the commissioners, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of State, have performed an investigation into why ballots throughout the county could not be scanned at the polls.
It was determined that the issue was that the 'Time in Security Marks' were missing. These marks border the ballots and tell scanning machines how to identify the ballot.
'I think it's very important that we found out what some of the shortcomings were,' President Commissioner Scott Hunt said at Thursday's commissioners' meeting. 'And more importantly, not to cast blame on anyone, but (focus) on how we move forward so issues like what happened on Nov. 5 never happens again.'
The root of the error was the county's ballot-printing firm, William Penn Printing, requesting that the Cambria County Elections Office resend the digital file for the general election ballot, Hunt said.
An incorrect version of the ballot – missing the TIS marks – was sent by mistake by a former staff member 'with no malice of intent committed.'
'Nevertheless, the county has taken action to place the third-party printer on notice regarding accountability and to request detailed logs of their process and protocols, which may have avoided this error,' county Solicitor Ronald Repak read from a statement at the meeting.
Cambria County officials are also considering issuing a request for proposal for ballot-printing moving forward.
The internal investigation was launched after the Department of State instructed the commissioners to handle the matter themselves while the state agency interviewed the third-party vendors that supplied the ballots and machines about the issue. Repak said the county had not heard any updates as of Thursday regarding that process.
Additionally, Hunt declined to comment, citing possible litigation, on whether the county will pay for the new ballots that needed to be printed Nov. 5.
Protocols and plans
Cambria County has created a series of protocols for future elections.
Those include the new election director – former Election Director Maryann Dillon retired after the Nov. 5 election – being trained to build a ballot and know what to look for before sending it to the printer; a checklist system implemented with a signature page, internal and external proofreading, and final signoff by the director; and expanded communications procedures.
The commissioners are exploring the installation of a 'one-call' and 'one-text' system to better communicate with precinct staffers, purchase of prepaid cellphones for each precinct, and a standalone phone line in the elections office for precinct communication only – all as supplemental service.
The county is also requiring more training for election office staff and the new director, and those people have worked with the Department of State and supplier ES&S to update internal office procedures.
'We're moving forward,' Commissioner Thomas Chernisky said.
Commissioner Keith Rager added that the county is 'fixing the issues.'
Hunt said the commissioners had vowed to fully review the situation and work with the Department of State to identify the issues. He said he is pleased they did what they said they would do.
County officials also thanked staffers and row officers for lending hand during the Election Day confusion and volunteers for helping both recreate and count ballots in the days following the election.
'Quite frankly, the response was amazing,' Chief Clerk Alex Ashcom said.
