Gladys “Mickey” McCowen said she tapped the name of Jerri Green but saw Marsha Blackburn appear on the screen. She called over a poll worker and then a supervisor, and after additional selections, checked the paper ballot the machine produced. McCowen said the paper record showed her intended choice, and she cast her ballot.

“I was alarmed,” she said, explaining that she later shared her experience on social media and heard from others who described similar concerns.

Davidson County Election Administrator John D. Richardson said the county’s machines have been in use for about a decade and respond to pressure on the screen, which can make precise selections difficult. He advised voters to ask a poll official for assistance if a selection looks wrong or they change their minds. The county is also bringing back stir sticks that voters can use like a stylus to press a selection.

Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins said election officials have heard reports primarily from Davidson and Williamson counties. He emphasized that voters should review the paper ballot, which records their selections, before submitting it. Goins said the voter can see the choices throughout the process and that election safeguards are intended to make deliberate vote-changing impossible.

The reports underscore the importance of checking the paper record rather than assuming a touchscreen registered a selection correctly. McCowen urged voters to take their time and verify their choices before casting a ballot.