Widespread voting problems have been reported in two heavily Republican counties in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (AP) — Election officials have confirmed widespread problems with voting machines and software in two heavily Republican counties in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania on Election Day.

Officials said there were problems scanning ballots in Cambria and Bedford counties, which former President Donald Trump won four years ago with 68% and 83% of the vote, respectively.

“The Cambria County Board of Elections learned earlier today that a software glitch in the county’s electronic voting system prevented voters from scanning their ballots,” Cambria County Attorney Ron Repak said in a statement.

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“This should not stop voters from voting in their precincts. The Board has filed a court order extending the voting deadline in Cambria County.”

According to the petition filed in district court, election officials filed urgent paperwork to extend the voting time by two hours to 10 p.m. to fix the problem and ensure all ballots are counted.

A court order will extend the voting time to 10 p.m., two hours after the 8 p.m. deadline for the rest of the state, a Republican source told The Post.

Pennsylvania is perhaps the most important swing state in the election, with both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning in Johnstown, Cambria’s largest city.

Nathan Anderson, an IT specialist from Johnstown, said he encountered problems on his election site when he cast his vote for Trump this morning.

He said a poll worker put his ballot in a locker until it could be scanned, but Anderson admitted he had reservations about that.

“I was able to cast my ballot whether it was scanned or not, honestly I’ll never know,” he said.

Anderson added that others are also leaving their ballots for poll workers to scan later rather than returning once the machines are repaired.

Some voters even left their polling station without voting on the issues, the petition to extend the voting time says.

Anderson’s wife, Jessie, said she was shocked by the voting problem but relieved that she decided to cast her vote early on Oct. 29, anticipating possible problems on Election Day.

“I never voted early, but by postal vote. But Trump has made it public again and again. Make it too big to manipulate,” she echoed the former president.

The Pennsylvania Department of State said it has been made aware of the issues in Cambria County and is working with local authorities to address them.

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“Voters continue to vote with ballots as part of normal operations while the county resolves the issue through on-site scanning,” the department said in a statement.

“We are working with the county to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe and secure election.”

A similar problem is occurring in Bedford County, where officials say they are working quickly to repair the machines.

According to the local elections board, ballots in the county remain in a secure locker until they are counted.

Several other counties in the state, including Blair, Somerset and Clearfield, are reportedly down, but those reports have yet to be verified.

Full statement from Cambria County Attorney Ron Repak:

“The Cambria County Board of Elections learned earlier today that a software glitch in the county’s electronic voting system prevented voters from scanning their ballots. This should not stop voters from voting in their precincts. The board has filed a court order to extend the voting deadline in Cambria County. No one should be turned away from the polling station if they want to cast their vote. The Cambria County Board of Elections has taken action to bring in IT specialists to investigate the software issue. There is a process for issues like this. All completed ballots will be accepted, secured and counted by the election board. The County Board of Elections has express voting machines at locations throughout the county to continue to enable electronic voting while also allowing for hand votes. The County Board of Elections will continue to monitor this matter and will take all necessary actions to ensure all voters have the opportunity to cast their ballot. We thank the community for their patience and support in resolving this issue. In summary, all votes will be counted and we continue to encourage everyone to vote.”