KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Knox County election officials are assuring voters that the county’s early voting process remains reliable and secure despite reports from some voters in Middle and West Tennessee who claimed voting machines selected a different candidate than the one they intended to choose.
Knox County uses a paper-ballot voting system, which election officials say provides an additional layer of verification for voters. Ballots are marked by voters and then submitted through scanning equipment, allowing voters to review their selections before casting their vote.
For many Knox County residents, the voting process has been straightforward.
Thomas Vineyard, who recently voted during the early voting period, described the experience as quick and trouble-free.
“Oh, super easy. It was quick. No line. Went straight in,” Vineyard said.
Vineyard said he took time to review a sample ballot before arriving at the polling location and found no discrepancies.
“I mean, I had no issues. I pulled up a ballot online prior to coming, looked it over, and it’s the same ballot I got here,” he said.
According to Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis, one of the biggest challenges during this election cycle has not been technology but the time voters spend reviewing three constitutional amendment questions on the ballot.
“Those three constitutional questions tend to be slowing people up a little bit, so we just really encourage voters to do your homework before you come in,” Davis said.
Despite increased voting times caused by the amendment questions, Davis said the county has experienced very few problems during the first half of the early voting period.
“I think we’ve, out of 43,000 voters, I think we switched two ballots one time. So, you know, that’s one of those things, sometimes it’s a worker error. But out of 43,000 votes, everything has gone incredibly smooth so far,” Davis said.
State election officials say Tennessee’s voting systems contain multiple safeguards designed to ensure voter selections are accurately recorded.
In a statement, Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said voters have several opportunities to verify their choices before submitting a ballot. Those safeguards include reviewing selections as they are made on the voting machine, checking a summary screen before casting the ballot, and examining the final paper ballot or paper record before it is submitted.
Goins emphasized that voters who believe there is a problem with their ballot should immediately notify a poll worker before casting their vote so the issue can be addressed.
Election officials are also encouraging residents to vote early while wait times remain relatively short. Early voting in Tennessee is now halfway complete and continues through October 29.
Officials say the combination of paper ballots, voter review procedures, and election worker oversight helps ensure ballots are recorded according to voter intent.
