Record number of US voters lead to long lines, malfunctioning machines

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Voting problems surfaced in several areas Tuesday when people turned out in droves for presidential balloting in the eastern United States, as long lines and malfunctioning machines greeted voters. Voters had to use paper ballots because of problems with electronic voting machines in some New Jersey precincts. And in New York, Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez-Rivera said many people began lining up as early as 4 a.m. at some polling places to avoid long lines, leading to erroneous reports that some sites were not opening on time. Gov. Ed Rendell urged voters in Pennsylvania to "hang in there" as state and country officials braced for a huge turnout. More than 160 people were lined up to vote by the time polls opened at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown. "I could stay an hour and a half at the front end or three hours at the back end," joked Ronald Marshall, a black Democrat.