Accidental cut cable shuts down Virginia’s online voter registration

An accidentally severed fiber optic cable shut down Virginia’s online voter registration system Tuesday, the last day to register before the November general election, authorities said.

The Virginia Department of Elections said in statement on Twitter that a “fiber cut” was affecting connectivity for multiple agencies, including the department’s citizen portal and registrar’s offices, and technicians were working to repair the problem. The state’s information technology agency said in a tweet that the cable was inadvertently cut during a Chesterfield County roadside utilities project but had no estimate on when it would be repaired.

Voting advocates said the accident couldn’t have a come a worse time and lambasted state officials for the technological failure. The day of the deadline is when many Virginians decide to register, particularly after being reminded on social media and in the news.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said it’s already considering legal action to ask a judge to extend the registration deadline. And Democratic members of Virginia’s congressional delegation are calling for a 72-hour extension.

U. S. Reps. Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly and Jennifer Wexton said in a statement that they “hope the courts will swiftly grant such an extension” and account for the time it will take to inform the public of a new deadline.

Virg inia G ov. Ralph Northam said at a press conference that he supports extending the deadline. But he said it appears that only the courts have the ability to change it.

Northam, a Democrat, added said the state did not have a backup plan for this particular cable and the episode shows the need for the state to continue its efforts at creating a secure network.

“Obviously, we still have a lot of work to do,” Northam said.

Secretary of Administration Keyanna Conner said the cut occurred on a 10-gigabyte circuit that was recently installed this spring to help the state handle increased web demand during the coronavirus. She said backup circuits in aren’t as large as the main circuit, but plans are in place to upgrade them.

Virginia’s three congressional races are considered highly competitive.