SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s historic primaries were marred on Sunday by a lack of voting materials in a majority of centers …
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s historic primaries were marred on Sunday by a lack of voting materials in a majority of centers across the U. S. territory that forced frustrated voters who braved a spike in COVID-19 cases to turn around and go back home. The situation infuriated voters and politicians alike as they blamed Puerto Rico’s election commission and demanded an explanation for ballots reaching only 20% of voting centers by mid-morning. “This is crass incompetence,” said Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, a former governor who is running to represent Puerto Rico in Congress. Officials from the island’s two main parties scrambled to find solutions as they urged voters outside the metropolitan area to wait until late morning to visit voting centers, even though lines had already formed early across the island. Voters wore face masks and some stood in sweat-soaked shirts, but dozens of them gave up and left. “Please come back,” said Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia, who is seeking to become the gubernatorial nominee for Popular Democratic Party.
