Presque Isle Township Clerk explains why town hall ran out of democratic ballots

ALPENA, Mich. — Dozens of Presque Isle County residents did not have the opportunity to cast their votes today after the township hall ran out of democratic ballots.

Sharon Potts, the voter who received the last democratic ballot yesterday evening, says, “It’s very frustrating. Your voice should be heard, and especially in this time when there’s so much turmoil, it’s very frustrating.”

The township hall ran out of democratic ballots around 4 p.m., but still allowed those requesting a republican ballot to cast their votes. Many residents who did not, or could not wait, had to leave without having a chance to select a democratic nominee. Voter Sherry Milstein says at least 40 came and went without casting a democratic ballot.

We asked township clerk, Cynthia Paavola the reason for the shortage of democratic ballots. She says, it has to do with how many were delivered to begin with.

“We had 1,000 republican. We had 200 democratic. The county ordered them for us. We had nothing to say about it.”

Voters who were still around at about 5:45 p.m. Were able to start casting their votes. A few dozen people are thought to have left within the hour and a half that ballots were unavailable.

Clerk Paavola says the Township was advised by the Bureau of Election to duplicate a test copy of the democratic ballot on legal paper, which were hand–counted after polls closed. She did guarantee all votes would be counted.