Sevier County gives voters Q-tips and other styluses after reports of touchscreen troubles

What This Story Is About

• Sevier County began handing out styluses after voters reported touchscreens selecting the wrong candidate during early voting.

Why It Matters

• Voters who reported the problem said they were able to cast their votes for their intended candidates, and officials said voters can check their screen and printed paper ballot before it is scanned.

What Happens Next

• Whaley said styluses will be available at all Sevier County polling sites on Election Day.

For Context

• Sevier is one of four East Tennessee counties, with Greene, Loudon and Roane, that use the ExpressVote touchscreen system, which prints a paper copy for voters to verify.

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Sevier County election workers began handing out Q-tips and other styluses to voters four days into early voting after officials received reports that touchscreens selected the wrong candidate.

Administrator of Elections Nathan Whaley said he received a handful of reports from voters experiencing touchscreen issues. Election officials said the reports described the touchscreens selecting the candidate above or below the one the voter touched.

Voter describes problem

Helen Meehan, a veteran, has voted in Sevier County for decades and has voted since her 18th birthday. This year’s early voting was the first time she experienced a problem with a touchscreen.

“I tried to click on the candidate I wanted to vote for, and three times the other candidate came up of the other party. And then finally, on the fourth time, my candidate appeared,” Meehan said.

Meehan added she grew more concerned when she learned others had the same problem.

“And I did think about it later, and then it was all over social media and the news outlets that it was not just happening to me, it was happening to other people. And that’s when I got more concerned,” she said.

County response

Sevier is one of four East Tennessee counties that use the ExpressVote system. Greene, Loudon and Roane counties also use it. Voters make their selections on a touchscreen, and the machine prints a paper copy for the voter to verify.

Whaley said bipartisan teams tested the machines before early voting began and found no equipment errors. He said the screen can be sensitive and may not register a touch that is not directly on a name. He said fingers or nails can tap close to the edge of the box.

Whaley said the county started issuing styluses to help voters be more precise.

“We did start issuing stylus-type devices at the machines as well to help voters be more precise. And there’s multiple safeguards in place,” Whaley said. “There’s a review screen where they can review their selections before they print the ballot. And then even when they print their ballot, they can also check there to make sure their selections printed out correctly.”

Whaley said his office has received no complaints since styluses were given to more than 10,000 voters.

“Everyone I spoke to that had the complaint said they got to cast their vote for who they intended,” Whaley said.

Meehan said she wants voters to check their ballots.

“I just want to make sure everybody knows to recheck, check, and make sure, and if something’s wrong, to say something,” Meehan said.

Whaley said styluses will be available at all Sevier County polling sites on Election Day.

Officials said voters who run into an issue on the screen should not walk away. They said voters should notify a poll worker immediately so a bipartisan team can assist before the ballot is scanned. Officials also said voters should check both the screen and the printed paper ballot before scanning it.