Okaloosa County election officials worked to resolve multiple technical issues that affected a small percentage of morning voters in Tuesday’s municipal elections.
- Less than 0.5% of eligible voters were impacted by a printing error that caused precinct ballots to display “VBM” (vote-by-mail) markings in the official use box, according to the Supervisor of Elections office.
Affected voters were able to cast ballots using secure auxiliary bins. These ballots will be reviewed and counted by respective city canvassing boards after polls close Tuesday evening.
“Situations such as these are regrettable, but are not up to the standard Okaloosa voters have come to expect from our elections,” said Paul Lux, Supervisor of Elections. “I take full responsibility for this.”
In a separate incident, a single Fort Walton Beach precinct incorrectly directed voters to Niceville City Hall. Poll workers resolved the issue by providing preprinted emergency ballots, allowing voters to cast ballots at the correct location using auxiliary bins.
- The office also addressed concerns about cached test data appearing on the county’s results website early Tuesday.
“We immediately took the necessary steps to correct these situations and we are using this opportunity to improve our election processes,” Lux said. “I want to assure voters who voted early this morning that their votes will be tabulated before election night activities are concluded.”
Officials confirmed all issues were corrected early Tuesday morning and are working with their vendor to prevent cached test data from being publicly available in the future.
For the most up-to-date information regarding state and local elections, visit www.voteokaloosa.gov or call 850-689-5600, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
