Election Officials Debunk Viral Vote-Flipping Claims in Five States
Election officials and manufacturers attribute reports of touchscreen voting machine errors in five states to user error and screen miscalibration rather than systemic fraud.
Voters in Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas reported issues with touchscreen voting machines during early voting for the November 2026 midterm elections. Many users, including those posting on social media, claimed that ballot-marking devices flipped their selections from Democratic to Republican candidates. Some reports, such as a post by Stella Parton regarding a Nashville-area polling place, alleged partisan rigging.
Election officials and experts have dismissed these claims, attributing the incidents to user error, accidental touches, or screen miscalibration on older devices. In Texas, officials in Kendall, Bexar, and Bastrop counties noted that touchscreen sensitivity often causes mismatched selections. In Tennessee, reports emerged from Williamson, Davidson, and Madison counties, though Knox County officials reported a smooth process with only two ballots requiring correction due to worker error.
Election Systems & Software, the manufacturer of the ExpressVote devices used in many affected areas, stated it has not seen widespread technology issues. The company noted that errors typically occur when voters do not touch the text box in the correct place. Fact-checkers further noted that some videos circulating on X and TikTok as current evidence were actually from 2018 and 2019.
Officials emphasized that all equipment is tested before elections and that multiple safeguards are in place. Voters are encouraged to use the summary screens and review the human-readable paper ballots to correct any errors before final submission.
