Politics
Tennessee voters raise concerns over candidate selections on early-voting machines
Voters in Franklin, Spring Hill and Nolensville say machines highlighted a candidate they did not intend to choose. State and county election officials say voters can verify selections at several steps and should seek poll-worker help before casting a ballot.
Some Middle Tennessee voters say early-voting machines highlighted a different candidate than the one they meant to select, prompting election officials to urge voters to check their choices carefully before submitting a ballot.
Bill Martin and his wife encountered the problem Monday at the Franklin Recreation Complex, Martin said. He said the couple tried several times to make their intended selections stay highlighted, but the machines instead illuminated other candidates’ names. Voters in Spring Hill and Nolensville reported similar experiences this week.
Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said the problem is usually caused by an unintended touch, such as a fingernail reaching into a neighboring selection box. Martin disputed that explanation, saying the selection changed even after the correct choice appeared to stay in place.
Goins said voting equipment is tested before elections, with checks involving both Republicans and Democrats. When a problem is reported, his office contacts the county and sends technicians from both parties to examine the machine.
Davidson County Elections Administrator John Richardson said the county had received only a small number of complaints compared with the roughly 65,000 people who had voted early there. The county is again making voting sticks available to help voters interact with touch screens, he said. Coffee stirrers or styluses are also available by request.
Voters have three opportunities to check their choices: on the selection screen, on a review screen and on the printed paper ballot. The paper ballot is what gets counted, officials said. Goins advised voters who see an unexpected selection to ask a poll worker for assistance before submitting the ballot.
The reports have drawn attention from campaigns in Tennessee’s governor’s race. Republican candidate Sen. Marsha Blackburn urged voters who encounter an irregularity to contact their local election commission and the Tennessee Secretary of State. Alex Hensley, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Jerri Green, said the campaign had heard concerns from voters and encouraged them to report problems to local election officials and the Tennessee Democratic Party’s voter hotline.
Martin said he worries voters may not notice a selection they did not intend to make. The multiple review steps are intended to catch mistakes before ballots are submitted, but the reports underscore why accessible assistance and clear procedures matter to voters using election equipment.