Undelivered machines delay voting

NEW ORLEANS – Many New Orleans voters were unable to cast ballots for hours Saturday on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage because voting machines had not been delivered to polling places, a state official said.

Early returns showed voters approving the amendment by a wide margin.

At least 59 precincts did not have voting machines when polls opened at 6 a.m. because officials with New Orleans’ clerk of court’s office failed to meet drivers who tried to deliver the machines earlier that morning, said Frances Sims, the state director of elections.

Secretary of State Fox McKeithen and workers in his office delivered the machines from a warehouse by noon, Fox spokesman Scott Madere said. He said New Orleans was the only city to experience the problem. It wasn’t clear how many voters were affected.

Voters around Louisiana cast ballots Saturday on an amendment to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage. New Orleans voters were also voting in local races.

Ordinarily, plans for the deliveries would have been coordinated 10 days before the election, Sims said. Hurricane Ivan, which had sparked an evacuation of New Orleans at midweek, may have played a role.

A call to the clerk’s office by the Associated Press was not answered. Clerk Kimberly Butler earlier told WWL television, “At a number of facilities, the individuals just weren’t home, weren’t back at home to open the buildings.”

Attorney General Charles Foti planned to investigate. “We will review what happened and take whatever steps are necessary to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

The election problems could lead to challenges of election results, particularly of the proposed gay marriage ban.

“I’m sure there will be lawsuits filed,” McKeithen said.

Madere said inconvenienced voters were allowed to vote after polling places officially closed at 8 p.m. if they were in line at that time.