Paper Jam Doesn't Stall Marlborough Voting

MARLBOROUGH, MA—A piece of paper jammed the vote counting machine for close to an hour at one Marborough polling location, bringing out a repairman from the city's main office. It didn't stall voting at all, though.

By 4:30 p.m., Marlborough's Ward 1 Precinct 2 had 680 votes, but it didn't account for the roughly 50 that still had to be hand counted because of the machine jam around 3 p.m.

Tim Collins, warden, who held a handheld log book with numbers going back years, said that the turnout at the state 2016 election was roughly the same. With a steady stream throughout the day, Collins said there was a line waiting to get in at 7 a.m.

"It's such a lengthy ballot that people are taking their time, so there is a bit of a wait, but no one is angry," he said.

Jeffrey Corkins, 18, was voting for the first time in an election. He said his generation has seen a push and has a surge of eagerness to vote.

"There has been a push for the younger generation," he told Patch. "In the past, i don't think younger people had an initiative or were really sure what to do. My generation is understanding that we have to care how our lives will be. We might as well vote."

City Clerk said that by 3 p.m., 29 percent had voted city wide in Marlborough.

Go here for live results and updates throughout the election.

Photo Credit: Charlene Arsenault