Voting hours in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have been extended until 10 p.m. ET following a significant error that led to third-party voters being excluded from the poll books on Election Day. This issue became apparent shortly after polls opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4, when officials from Chester County Voter Services discovered that voters registered with third parties were not listed in the precinct poll books.
Several residents reported their concerns to NBC10, including Joe Zalot from Westtown, who stated that both he and his wife, registered independents, found their names missing from the voter rolls at their usual precinct—a troubling surprise for voters who have participated in past elections without issue.
In response to the situation, Chester County Voter Services quickly deployed updated poll books to all polling locations to rectify the problem. They assured voters that those whose names did not appear in the poll book would still have the opportunity to cast their votes by using provisional ballots until the correct poll books arrive.
By 3:45 p.m. on Election Day, officials confirmed that all necessary supplemental poll books had been distributed across the county’s 230 polling locations, ensuring that each registered voter, including those voting provisionally, could cast their ballots.
Around 5:55 p.m., Chester County officials announced a judicially approved extension of voting hours, allowing voters to cast their ballots until 10 p.m. Any registered voter who had not yet voted could either participate during regular hours or opt for a provisional ballot between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Chester County’s CEO, David Byerman, emphasized that measures were in place to prevent any voter from casting multiple ballots by cross-checking the poll books and ensuring each individual has only one signature.
A formal review will be conducted by the Chester County Voter Services to investigate how the omission of third-party voters occurred and to implement measures preventing such errors in the future. Of the county’s 385,856 registered voters, approximately 75,076 are associated with third parties, highlighting the significant impact of this mix-up on a substantial portion of the electorate.
This event underscores the importance of voter participation and the systems in place to ensure every eligible citizen can exercise their democratic right to vote.