October 19, 2024 – In a surprising turn of events, Tennessee Democrats are raising alarms over alleged voter irregularities after years of maintaining that U.S. elections are “safe and secure.” The Shelby County Democratic Caucus called an emergency press conference Thursday to discuss voting machines allegedly flipping votes from Democratic incumbents to Republican challengers.
Tennessee State Representatives G.A. Hardaway and Antonio Parkinson, both from Memphis, were joined by Election Commissioner Vanecia Kimbrow to discuss the troubling reports.
Several voters reported that the machines were switching their votes, Parkinson said. One voter, attempting to vote for Democratic candidates such as Gloria Johnson, claimed the machine had given them votes to Republicans such as Marsha Blackburn.
One elderly voter, for instance, had to type the name of her preferred candidate four times before the machine finally ceased sending her vote to the rival. Parkinson feared that not everyone would notice the mistake before voting, thus cast a wrong vote. As it is currently being reported by Democrats only, he said Republicans should have some similar problems.
Election Officials’ Response
Although she acknowledged the reports, Election Commissioner Vanecia Kimbrow said the issue was caused by the sensitive nature of the voting machines. She said the machines were new and that voters needed to use the supplied styluses so the touchscreens wouldn’t get stuck.
“We need to use the equipment as it was designed,” Kimbrow explained. She assured voters that any malfunctioning machines would be replaced and encouraged them to verify their selections before submitting their ballots.
Reversal of Election Security Rhetoric
Tennessean Democrats’ complaints constitute a significant rhetorical shift. For decades, Democratic candidates had assured voters that U.S. elections are secure, largely rejecting any allegations of vote manipulation or election fraud. However, now that Democrat candidates are reportedly losing votes to Republicans, the issue of election integrity has become a focal point in Shelby County.
Election Administrator’s Answer
Shelby County Election Administrator Linda Phillips refuted those allegations by saying no irregularities had been found so far. She pointed out that poll attendants were helping voters at each location, and video instructions on how to use the machines were available on social media. Phillips also asked voters to recheck their ballots before they cast them in order to make sure it came through correctly.
As these allegations build, each party will continue to monitor the situation in Shelby County as the midterm elections loom.
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