Ross Township voters had their patience put to the test Tuesday. By 10 a.m. the line to vote was backed up all the way down the walking path and along the stream.

Voters said they had been waiting two hours to get near the head of the line.

By the afternoon, there was a four- to five-hour wait and people were calling the Monroe County Office of Elections and Voter Registration seeking an answer to why the wait was so long.

Several factors slowed the process.

Commissioner John D. Christy explained a new system was implemented at the polls.

“We replaced the voting books with iPads,” he said.

Ross had three polling books and the books were replaced with three iPads. Voters told the voting official their name and they quickly pulled up the information. That eliminated the need to stand in line in front of the person with the book that contained names.

Normally the three iPads would have accommodated the voting, but it was a presidential election and voter turnout was so high, Christy said.

“As soon as I heard about the wait, I went to the poll and gave them my iPad to use and then I went home and brought back another iPad from my house and helped check voters in,” he said.

The problem was solved, and by 9:15 p.m. everyone had cast their vote.

“For the most part voters were extremely patient,” he said.