LAPEER, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Several polling locations in Lapeer County have reported problems with misprinted ballots, and the misprint is leading to voting machines rejecting them.

Lapeer County Clerk Theresa Spencer said Tuesday the problem stems from timing marks on the back of the ballots, and this causes the voting machines to not accept the ballots.
The timing marks are black boxes along the outside of the ballots. This allows voting machines to count the ballots, but the machine will reject them if nicked or printed improperly.
A sign posted outside a Lapeer Township precinct and sent to Michigan News Source said, “Currently both precinct tabulators are not working. Technicians are on the way. You are still able to vote. However, your ballot will be placed in the auxiliary bin and processed once the polls are closed.”
No matter where you cast your ballot, you may run into this problem. If your ballot is rejected for any reason, you can can talk to the election workers about these options:
  • The machine may ask you what you want to do. If it prompts “cast”, that means the ballot will be accepted but not counted.
  • You can ask ballot workers to “spoil” your ballot and give you a new one to fill out and cast in its place.
  • You can place your ballot in an auxiliary bin where the ballot is later duplicated in front of a Republican and Democrat and then ballots are fed into the voting machine.
Spencer told Michigan News Source there is a provision in state law to allow voters to leave their ballot in an auxiliary bin to be tabulated later.
The Secretary of State’s Office said ballot duplication is common and the state has protocols in place.