RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A severed fiber optic cable shut down Virginia’s online voter registration system Tuesday, the last day to register before the November general election.
The Virginia Department of Elections said in statement on Twitter that a “fiber cut” was affecting connectivity for multiple agencies, including the citizen portal and registrar’s offices. The state also said technicians were working to repair the problem.
Andrea Gaines, a department spokeswoman, said in an email that the cut occurred in the Chester area near Route 10.
“This has affected the department’s citizen portal along with local registrar’s offices across the Commonwealth,” she said. “Verizon technicians are on site and working to repair the cut; updates will be provided as work progresses.”
The Washington Post reported that election officials in northern Virginia have been forced to register voters using paper forms.
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