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Likely False: Voting machines in Tennessee and other states are deliberately switching votes from Democrats to Republicans.

Tennessee New

There is no evidence any machine is deliberately switching votes.

The rumor: Likely False “Voting machines in Tennessee and other states are deliberately switching votes from Democrats to Republicans.”

The facts: Some early voters in Davidson, Williamson and Shelby counties said touchscreens jumped to a different candidate. Davidson County's election administrator says a touch near the line can register on the choice above, and the county is again handing out stylus sticks and has posted tap guides; the Secretary of State's office reports one formal complaint out of about 400,000 early ballots. If your screen shows the wrong choice, use a stylus, tap the candidate's name, check the review screen, and tell a poll worker before you cast your ballot.

How this story developed

  1. Davidson County elections administrator John Richardson says fewer than a handful of the 62,755 early voters so far reported problems, that machines are tested by technicians from each party, and that voters should press the center of each box.
  2. UW Center for an Informed Public finds no evidence of deliberate vote manipulation and points to known calibration problems on older touchscreens.
  3. State Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins says it is not a vote flipping situation but usually an unintended touch. Madison County's elections administrator says votes do not flip and cites testing of 259 pieces of equipment.

Sources

  1. WKRN via AOL: Davidson County explains touchscreen issue, Oct 21 Other source
  2. WSMV: Williamson voters report screen jumps; one complaint, Oct 20 News report Checked Archived copy
  3. Newsweek: state elections coordinator cites safeguards, Oct 21 News report Checked Archived copy
  4. UW CIP: no evidence of deliberate vote switching, Oct 22 Fact-check Checked Archived copy
  5. WSMV: state elections chief Goins says not a vote flipping situation, Oct 21 News report Checked Archived copy
  6. NBC39: Madison County elections chief disputes switched votes, Oct 21 News report Checked Archived copy
  7. WBBJ: Madison County NAACP reports selection complaints, Oct 17 News report Checked Archived copy
  8. WKRN: Davidson official cites few reports, touch errors, Oct 22 News report Checked