Some voting hours extended in Hartford after list issues

HARTFORD, Conn. (WABC) -- Missing voting lists created a problem for a polling places in Connecticut's capitol Tuesday morning, and Governor Dan Malloy successfully lobbied to extend hours at two polling locations.

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A judge ordered the two locations, the Batchelder School and United Methodist, to remain open until 8:30 p.m., 30 minutes past their previously scheduled closing time.

Earlier in the hearing, the judge stated that the situation is "intolerable" in a democracy where polls are supposed to be open at 6 a.m.

At one point, he proposed that that people who show up after 8 p.m. be specifically be screened if they had been denied in the morning.

The state of Connecticut has filed a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission against the Hartford Registrars of Voters, alleging "gross misconduct" and election law violations.

Av Harris, spokesman for Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, said that multiple polling stations did not receive printed voter lists in time for the 6 a.m. start of voting and that "more than just a few" were affected.

"There was a serious voting problem in the city of Hartford this morning," he said. The lists "are essential in the voting process...It is unacceptable. It is unclear why this was not done."

Harris said lawyers gathering information about polling places and state officials will make sure all eligible voters vote. In some locations, voters were able to vote by signing an affidavit, but in others, voters were turned away because there was no list.

Election officials are being particularly careful to avoid a repeat of problems that marred vote-counting in Bridgeport in 2010. More voters than expected showed up at the polls and faced delays.

It took nearly two hours to get these lists to Hartford. They were distributed around 8 a.m.

Malloy then asked a state Superior Court judge to extend voting hours following the delays.

Malloy, who is in a tight race for election to a second term against Republican challenger Tom Foley, was among voters inconvenienced when voter lists were unavailable as polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

In his complaint, the governor said witnesses reported that 12 polling stations failed to open on time as required by state law. He says voters were unable to vote for 30 to 90 minutes at nine sites.

The complaint names Olga Iris Vasquez, the Democratic registrar.

Vasquez said budget cuts have resulted in reduced staffing that hampered the timely delivery of voter rolls.