Prudence Island votes coming by ferry

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (AP) -- A telephone line failure is prompting primary voting data from Prudence Island to be delivered an old-fashioned way: by ferry.

Robert Kando, executive director of the state Board of Elections, told The Associated Press on Wednesday the phone line between the island's voting precinct and the state board went down, so primary results could not be officially transmitted Tuesday night.

He says the voting machine's "memory pack," which records voting data, was headed for the mainland by ferry and would be delivered to the Canvassing Authority in Portsmouth on Wednesday afternoon.

Madeleine Pencak, registrar of voters in Portsmouth, says 27 votes were cast on the island. She says she learned the tally Tuesday evening but will officially transmit the results to election board headquarters later Wednesday.