Davidson County adds styluses to voting booths after touchscreen complaints

Davidson County election officials are distributing new tools to voting booths to help prevent accidental selections on touchscreen machines. The change comes after several voters reported that the candidates they intended to choose did not appear on their printed ballots.

More than 1.2 million Tennesseans cast votes before the polls opened on Election Day. Despite the high volume of early voting, Davidson County Elections Administrator John D. Richardson reported that his office received fewer than 10 complaints regarding the specific issue of incorrect candidate selection on the touchscreens.

Voters described moments where they pressed a button and saw a different name illuminate on the screen. One resident told WSMV that when they pushed the button, the other name would light up. Another voter said they intended to vote for Jerri Green for governor, but the machine registered their choice for Marsha Blackburn.

Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins attributed the problem to user error on the touchscreen devices. Goins stated that it is not a vote flipping situation. He explained that an unintended touch, perhaps caused by long fingernails hitting an adjacent box, can cause the discrepancy without the voter realizing it.

To address the issue, Richardson’s office brought back the stir stick. Richardson described the item as a stylus that allows voters to choose candidates with greater accuracy. The county is also encouraging citizens to double check their ballots at every opportunity.

Richardson advised voters to look at the paper version of their ballot after pressing the print button. He told WSMV that voters should ask if the paper reflects their intentions. If the answer is yes, they can proceed to the scanner. If it does not match, a poll official will spoil the ballot and provide a brand new blank one so the voter can go through the process again.

Richardson noted that the voting machines used to print ballots are not connected to the internet and cannot change a ballot on their own. He stated that whatever a voter presses on the computer registers their request, with no outside influence on the choice. Davidson County’s election headquarters also maintains a helpline room where experts assist poll workers with questions throughout Election Day.