Democratic voters have reported problems with Nashville’s voting machines. When they select the Democratic candidate for governor, Jerri Green, the machine will sometimes select Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn instead.
The problem stems from the voting machine’s sensitivity. Since the Republican option is first, selecting the Democratic option too close to the boundary on the screen can make the machine choose the wrong candidate.
To help ensure the machine picks the right option, Davidson County Election Commissioner John Richardson said polling sites are bringing back plastic straws.
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Nashville first used the coffee stirrers in the 2020 election to limit the spread of COVID-19 at the polls. The election commission had initially opted to retire the straws this election over environmental concerns.
Since rolling the straws out Thursday, Richardson told WPLN News that he’s gotten fewer calls about the issue. To date, Richardson said all ballot errors have been caught before the voter officially cast their ballot.
“Each and every person I’ve spoken with that’s called into our office and has expressed their concern, I’ve called them back. I’ve had a meaningful conversation with each of them,” Richardson said. “Every voter I’ve spoken with has been very confident that their vote counted.”
Any ballot error can be corrected before it goes through the scanner. After it enters the scanner, it has been tallied and cannot be changed.
Early voting runs through Oct. 29. Election Day is Nov. 3
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