Tennessee officials urge caution amid reports of ballot problems

A Tennessee Democratic lawmaker is calling for election officials to resolve complaints that voting machines are defaulting to candidates they didn’t want to select but stopped short of saying ballots are rigged.

“Obviously, this keeps coming up and it needs to be addressed after this election, because it’s not acceptable that people are having these problems,” state Sen. Heidi Campbell said Friday. “However, I don’t think it’s indicative of any foul play.”

Campbell said she spoke with Davidson County Election Office officials after receiving multiple complaints about ballots during the midst of early voting leading up to the Nov. 3 election. Officials confirmed the machines are not connected to the Internet and that the machines are calibrated properly, she said.

“I feel confident having talked to them that it’s user error,” Campbell said. 

Nashville TV stations, including NewsChannel5, and WSMV, reported some voters said when they touched the voting screen an incorrect name appeared. The changes required them to push the correct button two or three times before confirming their ballot, they said.

In light of the complaints, Davidson County Election Office is urging people to check their ballots before completing the vote and requesting a printout to make sure their selections were correct, she said. Davidson County voters also will be given plastic sticks to cast ballots.

Chad Gray, Williamson County Administrator of Elections, said his office is providing voters with styluses at all polling locations.

“All voting equipment undergoes thorough logic and accuracy testing by both Republican and Democratic representatives before being used in an election,” Gray said in a statement.

The Secretary of State’s Office also is encouraging voters to make sure their votes are recorded correctly before confirming their choices.

Responding to questions from the Lookout, Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s spokesperson Ben Hill said the office “takes any and all complaints seriously.”

“Tennessee’s voting systems are designed with multiple safeguards to help ensure that ballots are recorded consistent with voter intent. The process includes several opportunities for voters to verify their selections before casting their ballot,” Hill said in a statement.

First, when a voter makes a choice, the selection is clearly displayed on the machine’s screen. Then, before casting a ballot, voters are given a summary screen displaying all their selections. Third, voters should review a paper ballot generated by the systems to confirm their choices are accurate before casting a ballot.

Voters who believe they have a problem with their ballot should notify a poll official immediately, before casting their ballot, he said.

In addition, the state is encouraging voters to know what is on the ballot before going to vote, including familiarizing themselves with three constitutional amendment questions.

Richard “Rique” Patire, a Nashville entertainer and stylist, said he experienced a similar situation in August when he tried to vote in the Democratic primary. He filed a complaint with the Davidson County Election Office.

Patire said he told election workers he wanted a Democratic ballot but when he pressed a button three times to vote for Democrats, the machine failed to work correctly. An election worker then pressed the machine button and said it went through.

Yet when got his ballot and went to the booth, another election worker said it appeared he didn’t want to vote for the gubernatorial candidate. He was then informed he received the wrong ballot.

When he said, “I don’t understand this,” an election worker responded, “Neither do we.”