The $1.3 billion Powerball drawing was postponed Saturday night due to a procedural issue.
“Tonight, we have one participating lottery that requires additional time to complete the required drawing procedures, which were enacted to protect the security and integrity of the Powerball game,” Powerball said in a statement shortly after 7:59 p.m. The drawing was supposed to be done.
Powerball rules require every ticket sold nationwide to be scanned and verified by two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn. This process ensures that every ticket sold for the Powerball drawing is accounted for and has an equal chance of winning, a statement from Powerball said.
“Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs additional time to complete the advance withdrawal process,” she said.
Powerball said lottery ticket holders should save their tickets for Saturday; When the required advance drawing procedures are completed, the drawing will be conducted under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.
The winner of the $1.3 billion jackpot, if there is one, can choose to pay out a one-time total cash payout of $608.9 million.
The latest Powerball jackpot, worth $842.4 million, was won Jan. 1 by a ticket holder in Michigan.
