Defective ballots sent to E. Longmeadow

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - Even observers from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office could not prevent one problem that arose during voting in East Longmeadow on Thursday: defective ballots.

Town Clerk Tom Florence told 22News that some of the ballots that the state sent to East Longmeadow are not working properly in the electronic voting machines.

Florence said that it has been a problem for voters in Precincts 1 and 2, but precincts 3 and 4 appear to be fine.

Because they cannot be read by the machine, those votes will have to be counted by hand, Florence said.

The vote in East Longmeadow is being watched by representatives from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office following allegations of voter fraud. Hundreds of voters in town had their party affiliations changed and absentee ballots requested on their behalf, without their knowledge.