Cape Girardeau County, state, experience problems with voter registration database

Election officials in Cape Girardeau County, just like others around the state, haven't been able to access the state's online voter registration database.

Laura Egerdal, spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office, says poll workers reported Tuesday that they are having problems trying to search a voter registration database. The database is used if a voter is not listed on a printed voter registration list.

"It's been hard on us all day because we have to look up voters by hand. It's very time consuming and it is holding up voters at the polls," said Cape County Clerk Kara Clark Summers.

If someone appears at a polling place to cast a ballot and their name isn't on the printed voter list kept on site, a poll worker has to call the clerk's office to have staff look through paper voter records, Clark Summers explained.

This is also tying up the phone lines for voters who may be trying to contact the clerk's office with questions.

"It's not keeping anyone from voting, but it sure is making it inconvenient," Clark Summers said.

If a voter's records can't be found, they can still cast a provisional ballot, which will be verified after the election.

The problem has been occurring statewide since the polls opened. The database came back up around 2 p.m., but Clark Summers said she wasn't sure if it would stay accessible.

The problem does not affect any other aspect of administering the election or counting vote totals, according to the secretary of state's office.