Early voting in Champaign County began March 13 and ends Monday. A total of 8,591 votes were cast in all nine early voting locations around the county. 

Gordy Hulten, Champaign County clerk, said there were problems with a few machine tabulators that had to be replaced or fixed.

According to Frank Modica, election judge working at the Illini Union polling station, the voting machines often require the reinsertion of ballots, which slows down the line and occasionally crumples and voids ballots.

“From our perspective, there were no issues that delayed someone’s voting process,” Hulten said. “We were able to handle the voters and move through the process very quickly.”

Hulten said problems with voting machines have not increased since previous years.

“I don’t think (machine malfunctions) discouraged people,” Modica said. “People were very happy to come in and vote. It was a great opportunity for people to be here.”

Spring break affects polling places such as dorms  because they are closed, but the break shouldn’t affect turnout because the students will be off campus, Hulten said.

“It is affecting a handful of our locations on campus that are normally polling places for us on election day, but the buildings are actually closed because of spring break, so we can’t use them on election day,” Hulten said.

Hulten encourages people to vote at the voting locations across the county on March 20, which is election day. The locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and can be found on the Champaign County clerk office website.

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