POLICY WIRE FACT CHECK: Investigating Viral Claims of Voting Machines Switching Voter Choices
The Claim Recently, viral claims have circulated across social media platforms, particularly Facebook, alleging that voting machines in multiple states including Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina...
The Claim
Recently, viral claims have circulated across social media platforms, particularly Facebook, alleging that voting machines in multiple states including Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina are deliberately switching Democratic votes to Republican candidates. These claims suggest a coordinated effort or a systemic flaw in the software intended to manipulate election outcomes during the early voting period.
The concern gained significant traction following a public post by Stella Parton, the sister of the late singer Dolly Parton, who claimed on Facebook she had to correct her vote three times because the machine kept defaulting to Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn. This specific incident triggered a wave of reports from other voters claiming similar experiences, leading to widespread public alarm regarding the integrity of electronic voting systems.
The Details & Investigation
Our investigation into these reports reveals that there is no evidence that voting machines are deliberately switching voter selections. Elections experts and state election officials have addressed these concerns by identifying the root cause as technical: specifically touchscreen calibration issues or unintentional human error. In some jurisdictions, older ‘direct recording electronic’ (DRE) machines are still in use, which are more prone to sensitivity issues where a touch might register in an adjacent area if the screen is not properly aligned with the digital interface.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, noted that ‘vote-flipping’ claims are a recurring phenomenon seen in almost every election cycle, including 2008, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. He clarified that for modern ballot marking devices, the vast majority of these instances are understandable human errors, such as an unintended touch that the voter does not immediately realize has occurred.
Mark Goins, the Tennessee State Coordinator of Elections, emphasized in a statement to WSMV-TV that the situation is not ‘vote-flipping.’ He explained that the voting process includes multiple safeguards designed to prevent such errors. Voters are presented with a review screen of their selections before any ballot is printed. Crucially, the votes are not counted from the screen but from the paper ballot that is deposited into the scanner. For an incorrect vote to be recorded, every check and balance in this process would have to fail simultaneously.
Legal experts like Justin Levitt and technology researchers Andrew Appel have pointed out that if a voter notices their printed ballot does not match their intended selections, they have the right to ‘spoil’ the ballot and request a new one. This paper-based audit trail ensures that the voter’s intent is accurately captured and can be audited or recounted, providing a physical layer of protection against software manipulation or technical glitches.
The Verdict
The claim that voting machines are deliberately switching votes from Democratic to Republican is MISINFORMATION. While voters did report instances where machines did not initially record choices correctly, these were attributed to common hardware calibration issues and human error rather than a coordinated or deceptive campaign.
The existence of paper-based records and the ability for voters to review and correct their ballots before final submission serve as primary evidence against the claim of systemic manipulation. There is no documented evidence of software-driven vote switching in the states mentioned.
Counter-misinformation & disinformation investigation conducted by PolicyWire Desk.
