Early voters report challenges casting their vote at Middle Tennessee locations

What This Story Is About

• Some Williamson County voters say ballot machines registered a different candidate than the one they selected, requiring multiple attempts to correct it.

Why It Matters

• The issue raises concerns about voters, particularly older voters, unintentionally casting a ballot for a candidate they did not choose.

What Happens Next

• The Secretary of State’s office is directing voters who notice an issue to alert a poll official before casting their ballot, and is urging voters to review the review screen and paper record before submitting.

For Context

• The Secretary of State’s office said it has received only one complaint matching this issue out of about 400,000 ballots cast so far in the November election.

Catch Up

• Voters Jackie Herrud and Toni Fitzgerald both reported the machine switching their selection to a different candidate at separate Williamson County polling locations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Some early voters say they have had trouble with ballot machines selecting a different candidate than the one they chose. Voters say it took at least three tries to get their intended candidate to appear on their ballot.

Jackie Herrud has voted in Tennessee her whole life but said she had never had an experience like the one she had last week while voting early.

“I kept punching for the Democrat, Jerri Green, and it kept punching back to Marsha Blackburn,” Herrud said.

Herrud said she tried to vote for the Democratic candidate on her ballot, but the machine kept returning to the Republican candidate.

“It just really kind of irritated me, and then I was very nervous about making sure that my vote was going to be counted right,” Herrud said.

At the Longview Recreation Center in Spring Hill, Herrud said she spoke with poll workers who had heard of similar complaints. It was not the only location in Williamson County where the issue was found.

Other voters report same problem

Toni Fitzgerald voted at another Williamson County location on Saturday morning around 10 a.m. and said she experienced the same issue.

“You try to push the button for the candidate that you’re selecting, and it goes to another candidate,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said she initially thought she had clicked wrong. She said the button was difficult to push, and that she kept pushing until the machine registered her intended candidate. She said her polling location did not have a stylus available and that she did not speak to a poll worker about the issue.

“I think about older people or the elderly that are in the booth that are trying to vote. They could make that mistake,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said the machine printed a receipt that could be reviewed, and poll workers had told voters they could make changes after printing if needed.

The state has multiple safeguards in place to mitigate voting issues.

“Make sure you triple check, quadruple check to make sure that you’re selecting the right candidate,” Fitzgerald said.

State response

The Secretary of State’s office said out of approximately 400,000 voters who have cast ballots during this election period, the office has received one complaint of this nature for the November election.

The office said Tennessee’s voting systems are designed with multiple safeguards to help ensure ballots are recorded consistent with voter intent. The process includes several opportunities for voters to verify their selections before casting their ballot.

On the selection screen, a voter’s choice is clearly displayed on the voting machine screen. Before casting the ballot, voters are presented with a review screen that displays all selections made during the voting session. Voters should also carefully review the paper ballot or paper record generated by the system to confirm their choices are accurately reflected before the ballot is cast.

The Secretary of State’s office said if a voter believes there is an issue with their ballot, they should immediately notify a poll official before casting their ballot.

The office also said it is encouraging voters to plan and familiarize themselves with the three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot before going to vote. Voters can review the full text and learn more about each amendment at GoVoteTN.gov.