Mercer County prosecutor finds no tampering in voting machine malfunction

The Mercer County prosecutor has found no evidence of vote tampering or criminal intent in the countywide failure of Dominion scanning machines, according to a release from the county superintendent of elections.

Rather, prosecutor Angelo Onofri told the Mercer County Board of Commissioners, the failure was a result of “a miscommunication between Dominion Voting Systems and Royal Printing.”

The voting machine malfunctions resulted in the paper ballots being stored in the scanning machines and then taken to the County Board of Election in Trenton for scanning on their high-speed scanners. Most results, including victories by incumbent members of Congress Andy Kim and Bonnie Watson Coleman, were still available on election night.

Kim, who represents the 3rd Congressional District in Burlington and parts of Mercer and Monmouth Counties, defeated former punk rocker turned Viking Yacht executive Bob Healey by 13 points.

Onofri conducted a one-week investigation. He told the board he interviewed dozens of officials and reviewed “numerous documents” as part of their investigation.

He also denied allegations of missing ballots in previously reported news coverage, according to the release.

“The ballots in Robbinsville and Princeton were not missing,“ said Onofri. “The ballots were placed inside of the scanner’s bins and secured at the Mercer County Board of Elections.”

The countywide malfunction left some voters unfazed, but aggravated others, including Princeton University professor and MSNBC political analyst Eddie Glaude Jr., who tweeted about it. Other voters interviewed said it made them question the results.

For its part, Dominion wrote on a section of its website called “Setting the Record Straight” that “Dominion tabulators functioned exactly as they should in accordance with certification; there were no machine ‘malfunctions.’ The Mercer County clerk confirmed that all voters were able to complete and cast paper ballots and no voter was disenfranchised.“

Dominion also said that Sharpie pens, which were used in Mercer County, are safe and reliable to use on ballots, and recommended due to their quick-drying ink.

The company is engaged in numerous defamation lawsuits against conservative news organizations and others who falsely claimed that Dominion Voting Machines switched votes to favor President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

Nathaniel Walker, Mercer County’s superintendent of elections thanked Paula Sollami-Covello, the county clerk who called on the prosecutor to investigate, “for the support and assistance they provided to everyone involved in counting the votes and ensuring the integrity of this election.”