Scores of polling places around the island of Puerto Rico have suspended operations after running out of or had never received ballots during the commonwealth’s primary elections, the Associated Press reports.
The areas where ballots are available may continue to accept voters, but as they run out of ballots they will be closed. Voting at closed locations will be rescheduled for August 16th, when all ballots will be counted.
“I have never seen on American soil something like what has just been done here in Puerto Rico. It’s an embarrassment to our government and our people,” said Pedro Pierluisi who is competing against sitting Governor Wanda Vázquez for the nomination of New Progressive Party, which advocates for statehood.
Vázquez stated that the problem stems from the island’s election commission, which had assured the government and the people they were prepared for the election. She has called for the resignation of the commission’s president.
Both main parties, the New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party, were holding primaries today, and they both agreed to the August 16th supplemental voting date.
Reportedly, there was numerous trucks filled with ballots locked inside the parking area of the election commission. No one has an explanation for why the trucks failed to deliver the ballots to voting stations.