Tennessee Early Voting Complications: Touchscreen Malfunctions Undermine Voter Confidence

NASHVILLE, Tenn. WKRN — Early voting in Tennessee, intended to enhance voter accessibility, is encountering challenges due to issues with touchscreen voting machines in Davidson and Shelby Counties.

Voters have reported that their selections are not registering properly, with votes jumping to different candidates when they attempt to use their fingers on the screens.

State Rep. Antonio Parkinson, representing Memphis, stated that his office has received numerous complaints regarding this malfunction, expressing concern about the impact it may have on voter confidence.

When you have constituents that come out from the voting polls and they tell you that this is what’s happening, there’s a real concern in their face and in their voice about the process, he shared.

Davidson County election administrator Jeff Roberts acknowledged that while the issue is new, it is not indicative of a problem with the machines themselves, which undergo thorough testing before being deployed at polling locations.

This election marks the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that plastic stir sticks, which help voters make selections more accurately, have not been provided.

The decision was made to be more environmentally conscious, leading to difficulties as voters struggle to accurately select candidates in the small touch boxes.

Roberts explained, Sometimes you can get it, and sometimes it flips up to the one above it because you’re touching that line. We knew pretty quickly what the issue was. In response to the problem, Davidson County officials have begun distributing stir sticks again and placed instructional signs on each voting machine to guide voters on making their selections more accurately.

In Shelby County, election officials have also produced educational videos on how to use the touchscreen machines effectively. Rep. Parkinson questioned the necessity of the small touch box feature if voters struggle to use it accurately, calling for greater education on this issue statewide. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that voter confidence remains intact, especially in a state with already low voter turnout.

We don’t need anything else to make people feel like it is unnecessary or a chore to go out and cast their vote and be a part of the process, he stated.

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office has reported no other widespread issues with early voting thus far.