Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Confusion, Missing Ballots as Eight US States Vote During Coronavirus Pandemic Reuters WASHINGTON - Confusion, missing mail-in ballots and long lines at some polling centers marred primary elections Tuesday inninestates and the District of Columbia, the biggest test yet of voting during the coronavirus outbreak. The most extensive balloting since the pandemic sparked lockdowns in mid-March served as a dry run for the Nov. 3 general election. It offered a glimpse of the challenges ahead on a national scale if that vote is conducted under a lingering threat from COVID-19. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden easily won their primary races in Indiana, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Mexico and the night's biggest prize: Pennsylvania. Biden also won South Dakota All ofthe states voting on Tuesday encouraged or expanded mail-in balloting as a safe alternative during the outbreak, and most sharply reduced the number of in-person polling places as officials struggled to recruit workers to run them. That led to record numbers of mail-in ballots requested and cast in many states, along with an explosion of complaints about delayed ballots and questions about where to vote after polling places were consolidated. "The big story out of Pennsylvania is really voter confusion," said Suzanne Almeida, interim director of government watchdog Common Cause Pennsylvania. Polling places in at least four Pennsylvania counties opened late, and voting machines failed in at least three of the state's counties, including Philadelphia, according to the Pennsylvania Election Protection Coalition voting rights group. While most in-person voting locations featured extensive safety protocols,including masks, sanitizer and social distancing for lines,there were lapses. .