The voting machines at the Marion County Courthouse got an unexpected wash this morning when a pipe burst in the storage room where they were being held.

County staff worked quickly to remove the machines from the room, placing them in other rooms on the first floor or just outside the courthouse entrance. Maintenance crews used a wet/dry vacuum to soak up the water and fans to dry the area.

Marion County Maintenance Manager Cal Stephens tells KNIA/KRLS News that a water heater had been replaced earlier in the day and when they went to re-pressurize, the pipe in the storage room burst. Stephens says the water was isolated to just the room and a portion of the courthouse rotunda.

No county offices closed as a result of the burst pipe. Stephens says damage was minimal and believed to be limited to only a few ceiling tiles and some unprotected boxes.

It’s not known if any of the machines were damaged. The machines are actually supposed to be replaced tomorrow with brand new machines that were purchased prior to this incident.