PUERTO RICANS were demanding answers today after botched primaries forced officials to reschedule voting at centres lacking ballots, an unprecedented decision being described as a blow to the US colony’s political system.

The island’s elections commission remained silent as anger and embarrassment spread across Puerto Rico a day after hundreds of voters were turned away from shuttered centres that, for unknown reasons, received ballots several hours late or never received them at all.

It was the first time primaries have been halted and led commentators to worry that it has cracked Puerto Ricans’ confidence in their government and could affect the outcome of upcoming November general elections on an island with a voter participation rate of nearly 70 per cent.

“That scar will never leave Puerto Rico,” said political analyst Domingo Emanuelli. “It was a hold-up of the country’s democracy.”

Governor Wanda Vazquez and other officials from Puerto Rico’s two main parties have demanded the resignation of Juan Ernesto Davila, president of the election commission.

He declined to comment but his spokeswoman told the NotiUno radio station that he would resign once the primaries are over, saying it would be irresponsible to step down before that.

Questions about why Puerto Rico held a primary when ballots were not available and how it was possible that no-one knew about the problem until it was too late remained unanswered.

The electoral commission officials for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party and the main opposition Popular Democratic Party did not return calls or messages for comment.