COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Election Commission will be monitoring a hand count audit of the Columbia runoff election following concerns reported by some voters at the polls.
The SEC reported on Tuesday - even before polls closed - that its interim director, Howard Knapp, had ordered the review of this election. The agency said Richland County would complete the hand audit, but SEC staff would be present to observe both the process and the hand tabulation of the results.
The SEC will select the precincts to be audited, but it's not clear exactly how many will be looked at.
The SEC said audits are part of the normal process after an election and something they recommend. However, it said that, generally, the SEC wouldn't have a role in the process.
The decision follows multiple reports, including calls and emails to WLTX, suggesting the equipment didn't work at times in various polling locations.
SEC spokesperson Chris Whitmire said the problem was made by Election Systems & Software, who prepared the file for electronic poll books used in the elections.
Those poll books are used to make sure voters get the correct ballot. The problem meant that when voters went to the machine to make their selections for candidates, no ballot was displayed.
"We must always be diligent to protect the accuracy and integrity of all elections," the agency reported. "The SEC will be following up with the vendor to ensure this type of error does not occur in the future."
However, the organization also took issue with Richland County as well.
"While the file should have been correct from the vendor, the issue also should have been caught by the Richland County Voter Registration and Elections Office (Richland Office) by checking the file before it was used in the election," the organization continued.
For those that would be unable to vote electronically, the SEC reports that those voters should have been provided with emergency, hand-marked paper ballots.
"The SEC understands some of those were provided to voters this morning," the agency reports. "Emergency ballots are counted on election night with all other ballots cast on election day."
The SEC went on to say that, regardless of the issue at any polling place, "it is unacceptable" for any voter to be turned away from a polling place without being given the opportunity to vote.
As for the election counts, the unofficial results will still be reported on Tuesday night. Hand count audits will occur on Wednesday and the official results will be certified by the City of Columbia Municipal Election Commission on Thursday or Friday.