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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin has launched an investigation into the Boston Election Commission because of a ballot shortage.
Polling centers in the Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury neighborhoods ran out of ballots on Election Day, requiring police officers to deliver extra ballots to replenish their supply.
Galvin's office also ordered more ballots to be sent to other polling locations around Boston to ensure that they did not run out.
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According to Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office printed 766,200 ballots and delivered them to city officials ahead of Election Day. The office also provided a reminder "regarding the delivery of sufficient ballot quantities to each polling place, as well as specific instructions for local election officials maintain contact with poll workers to monitor ballot quantities."
"In addition to voters complaining that polling places were without ballots, election officials working in the precincts contacted our Office to report shortages, as they indicated they were unable to contact the Boston Election Commission," Galvin wrote in a letter to commission Chair Eneida Tavares Wednesday. "This indicates that the City did not originally deliver an appropriate supply of ballots to precincts in Boston, did not have adequate communication channels with the polling places, and had no plan to deliver additional ballots as needed, and in a timely manner."
"Although it appears that these locations ultimately received ballots, voters were subjected to unreasonable and unnecessary delays in exercising their franchise," the letter continued. "This is unacceptable and contravenes the most fundamental principles of our democratic process."
"Accordingly, I am initiating an immediate investigation into the practices and procedures of the Boston Elections Department leading up to and including the State Election held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and any other matter relating thereto," Galvin wrote.
Galvin said at a news conference Wednesday that he would likely appoint a receiver to oversee operations at the elections department.
"It is completely unacceptable for people to have to wait for significant periods of time without ballot access," Mayor Michelle Wu told WBZ NewsRadio Wednesday. "Having high turnout is a great problem to have, but we need to make sure that we are on top of all those issues, because protecting access to the ballot is the most fundamental part of our democracy."
Wu said the City of Boston is looking into the ballot shortage.
WBZ's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
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