Hand sanitizer jams ballot machine in Iowa

3 November 2020, 11:25 pm Edit

Hand sanitizer on voters’ hands has caused a ballot scanner to jam at a polling place in Des Moines, Iowa, secretary of state spokesman Kevin Hall said.

Hall says some voters’ hands were moist when they handled the ballots and the buildup of sanitizer eventually caused the scanner to stop working. The machine was fixed in about an hour.

The incident underlines challenges faced by voters and officials as they attempt to navigate an unprecedented pandemic-era election.

Republican Senate candidate Sen. Joni Ernst, center, arrives to cast her ballot at Red Oak First Christian Church Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Red Oak, Iowa. (AP/Charlie Neibergall)

Daily coronavirus infections are rising in all but three states, with the surge most pronounced in the Midwest and Southwest.

Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and New Mexico have all reported record high hospitalizations this week.

— AP