Voting machines rarely malfunction during Pa. elections, new data show

This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeat's free newsletters here.

Pennsylvania voters encountered only scattered voting-machine malfunctions that rarely affected their ability to cast ballots in recent elections, according to a Votebeat and Spotlight PA analysis of problems reported to the state.

Counties reported a smattering of common problems with machines at polling places, such as paper jams and error messages. Such issues were typically fixed quickly by counties having technicians on call or simply replacing the machine.

For election officials, sending out a technician or staffer to a polling place is usually easier and more efficient than trying to walk a poll worker through a fix over the phone, said Forrest Lehman, election director in Lycoming County. Officials refer to these traveling helpers as rovers or roamers.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/08/voting-machine-errors-report-pennsylvania-elections/