NEW BEDFORD – Poll workers followed the procedure outlined by the secretary of state’s office to address a couple momentary ballot jams during the Nov. 4 election in Ward 1 and 3 precincts.

Manuel DeBrito, election commission chair, said, “I commend the poll workers for doing what they were supposed to do. They did a great job.”

“It was a couple minor jams. Nothing serious,” DeBrito said, adding they occur in every election district. They were cleared in a couple minutes.

Ballots that can’t be fed through the machine while it’s being cleared are put in secured, locked boxes that are part of the voting machines. Police have the keys.

“Nobody has access. It’s not just a box that’s outside,” DeBrito said. The ballots are counted by hand after the polls close and added to the tally.

“We

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