Laurel voters wait hours for ballots

Voters at the Robert J. DiPietro Community Center in Laurel faced waits exceeding two hours on Tuesday after the site exhausted its supply of paper ballots. Some residents left the line without casting a vote to return to work. The disruption occurred at a polling place that typically operates with two or three electronic machines, but election monitors observed only one functioning unit.

Bonnie Sermons, a volunteer for Common Cause, arrived at the center shortly before 1 p.m. She spoke with a voter who had been waiting since 9:30 a.m. Staffers at the site ordered pizza and water, which arrived after a woman in the queue fainted. Officials later replenished the ballots, though they did not specify the cause of the shortage.

Jared DeMarinis, the chief election officer for Maryland, confirmed the issue with paper ballots in Prince George's County. He stated that his team was coordinating with the local board to deploy additional supplies and equipment to all affected sites. The goal is to prepare for the anticipated rush of voters in the late evening.

DeMarinis declined to provide a firm count of affected locations or identify the specific error. He emphasized that the priority was keeping voters at the polls rather than diagnosing the problem immediately. "Diagnoses are great for post-election," he said. "Right now, the biggest thing is making sure voters are voting. It’s a robust turnout, and that’s the focus."

Problems extended beyond the Laurel site. Brandywine Elementary School lacked the correct ballots Tuesday morning, a mistake that was fixed later in the day. Wendy Honesty-Bey, the administrator for the Prince George's County Board of Elections, confirmed the error and noted a backup of voters at that location as well.

Miya White waited more than three hours in Laurel. She remained in the line because her manager was understanding, despite missing a flight to Boston. White described the scene as hectic, noting that the single scanner was the main bottleneck. "The people are trying their best to be patient, but there is only one scanner," she said.

Amelia Sullivan, a resident who lives minutes from the community center, waited to cast her ballot. She cited the need to express her views on the economy. "Something has to change," Sullivan said. "I want my voice to be heard. I have the ability to vote, and I want to make sure I vote."