The claims come amid an avalanche of misinformation about the 2024 election. The reports about Arkansas are the latest in a series of baseless claims about malfunctioning or tampered voting machines, the subject of lawsuits and conspiracy theories.
There is no evidence that the devices changed votes.
“We have not experienced or identified any evidence of target vote malfunction or switching. The marking device allows selections to be reviewed before moving to the next page of the ballot,” said Chris Madison, director of the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners, in a Nov. 4 email.
“There is a review screen at the end of the ballot where all the selections the voter made are shown. Then there is a reminder before the voting card is printed to verify that all the selections the voter wanted were correct. Then the voter can view , and must check the printed card to ensure their selections appear on the printed card. If the card is incorrect, a voter can request assistance from a poll worker, and the voting card will be destroyed and the voter will be issued a new one. to start again.”
Madison told AFP in the video of the child in the poll stand“it looks like her knuckle touched the third name.” He said the machine “selects only one candidate.”
Madison explained the process during a demonstration with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, published on YouTube (archived here).
Election Systems and Software (ESS), which supplies According to the voting machines seen in the video, the devices have multiple protections that allow voters to review their votes selections.
“Touchscreen voting machines do not reverse votes. Typically, the reported cases stem from a voter not touching the text box in the correct place,” said company spokesperson Katina Granger.
“True confirmed cases of voters having trouble touching the right place on a touch screen are actually rare. Voters can select and reselect candidates at any time before their ballot is printed.”
Granger added that “there is no scenario in which a voter would be forced to cast a vote that he or she believes does not reflect his or her vote.” intentions.”
A judge last year rejected an objection to the use of ESS voting machines, ruling that they allow voters to verify their selection private (archived here).
Read more about AFP’s reporting on disinformation about the 2024 elections here.
