Registrars throughout Virginia are concerned the computer system that keeps track of voters may not hold up to increased traffic as Election Day approaches.
The Virginia voter information system lets you see what’s on your ballot or where your polling place is. It’s also what registrars use to add a new voter.
This is the first presidential-election the database has been used for in the state -- and some registrars say they’ve seen it significantly slow down.
“And the high transaction volume caused by a presidential-level election has made me bring on three full-time seasonals just to sit there and watch the spinning wheel of death.”
Greg Riddlemoser, Stafford County’s registrar, gave that testimony to lawmakers in Richmond Thursday -- and he wasn’t alone. Others shared his concern that the database won’t hold up under pressure.
“We’ve actually had people working pretty much around the clock over the past two weeks.”
Edgardo Cortés (Cortez) is commissioner of Virginia’s Department of Elections. He says his Department is on top of the issue.
“Just this morning we had a new report-specific server go online.”
Cortés says that new server should help relieve some pressure on the main database.
