False claims about machines "switching" votes are going viral

As early voting opened successful Texas connected Oct. 21, viral claims dispersed online alleging that ballot machines successful Tarrant County — location of Fort Worth and 1 of nan astir populous counties successful nan authorities — were "switching" votes.

But predetermination officials refuted nan claims, attributing nan rumor to quality correction that was corrected and confirming location was nary grounds of machines altering votes. Similar mendacious claims astir voting machines person surfaced successful Tennessee and Georgia, pinch predetermination officials successful each authorities attributing errors to voters, not instrumentality tampering.

Election information experts told CBS News that unfounded claims of machines flipping votes person circulated for years, and while voting machines person imaginable vulnerabilities, location is nary grounds of machines being hacked aliases programmed to change ballots. 

Election officials conflict viral claims

Claims astir votes being "switched" aliases "flipped" person been astir since astatine slightest 2004 and person been leveled by some Democrats and Republicans, according to David Becker, a CBS News predetermination rule contributor and laminitis of nan Center for Election Innovation and Research.

Becker said that quality correction is nan origin of "every single" ballot switching declare he's encountered, yet these isolated incidents are often cited arsenic impervious to falsely declare wide fraud. 

In Tarrant County, officials said that 1 retired of 58,000 ballots formed connected nan first time of early voting was misprinted owed to elector error. The claims gained attraction online aft a viral video showed a man insisting nan instrumentality switched his vote. 

State officials successful Georgia person disputed a akin allegation aft Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that a Dominion instrumentality changed a voter's ballot successful her district. That declare was based connected an anonymous viral Facebook post. 

The Whitfield County Board of Elections and nan Georgia Secretary of State's Office, arsenic good arsenic Dominion Voting Systems, each indicated nan rumor was owed to elector correction and said nan rumor was resolved while nan elector was astatine nan polling place.

"There is simply a logic we show group to reappraisal their ballots. Humans make mistakes," said Gabriel Sterling, COO of nan Georgia Secretary of State's Office, successful a station connected X.

In Tennessee, Democratic Rep. Antonio Parkinson alleged that votes for Democratic candidates switched to votes for Republicans. However, nan Shelby County Election Commission said nary voting irregularities person been recovered and urged voters to reappraisal their ballots cautiously earlier casting them.

Election information and voting machines 

In 2020, mendacious claims astir voting machines, including Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, dispersed widely. The claims, amplified by then-President Donald Trump and run surrogates, led nan companies to record defamation lawsuits against individuals and media outlets that promoted nan claims. 

Fox News settled their defamation suit successful 2023, agreeing to salary Dominion much than $787 cardinal for many times broadcasting mendacious accusations astir nan company. 

In 2024, immoderate of Trump's supporters, including X proprietor Elon Musk, person continued to formed doubt connected nan integrity of voting machines and called for them to beryllium banned. 

Voting machines are tested some earlier and aft votes are formed to guarantee they are moving properly, said Derek Tisler, counsel successful nan Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program. 

Tisler said 1 of nan astir important predetermination information safeguards is simply a insubstantial grounds of nan vote. Implementing a insubstantial grounds has been a privilege for states since 2016, he said, and astir 98% of votes formed successful nan 2024 predetermination will person a insubstantial trail.

"Election officials will reappraisal a sample of these insubstantial records aft nan predetermination to corroborate voting instrumentality tallies," Tisler said. "And if location is immoderate logic to fishy an rumor pinch voting machines, they tin autumn backmost connected these insubstantial records to find an meticulous count." 

Experts besides admit that voting machines person imaginable vulnerabilities and, for illustration immoderate technology, should beryllium updated and reviewed for information improvements.

The "gold modular protection" for Americans are hand-marked insubstantial ballots, according to J. Alex Halderman, an predetermination information master and professor of machine subject and engineering astatine nan University of Michigan. Halderman said astir 70% of nan state votes via hand-marked insubstantial ballots. 

Tisler said issues for illustration stiff screens aliases jammed ballot scanners are overmuch much apt to hap than immoderate type of "malicious" interference aliases hacking. He besides said voters tin unknowingly make nan incorrect selections connected touch-screens. 

"When I accidentally person a typo successful a matter that I send, I don't presume instantly that my telephone has been hacked, and I would promote nan aforesaid benignant of patience and knowing pinch voters," Tisler said.

Experts said it's imperative for voters to cheque their ballots and corroborate each selections are correct earlier casting it. And voters should retrieve that predetermination officials person a scheme successful spot to woody pinch issues and guarantee your ballot is counted. 

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• Voting
• 2024 Elections