For years, Democrats across the nation have reassured Americans that our elections are “safe and secure.”
But in a stunning reversal of their own rhetoric, Democrats in Tennessee are now raising alarms over voter irregularities.
The Shelby County Democratic Caucus held an emergency briefing on Thursday to address disturbing reports that voting machines were flipping votes from Democrat candidates to their Republican rivals.
Democrats like Tennessee State Representatives G.A. Hardaway and Antonio Parkinson, both from Memphis, joined Election Commissioner Vanecia Kimbrow at a press conference to discuss the concerning claims.
The primary issue at hand involves voting machines allegedly switching votes.
According to these officials, multiple voters have reported that when they selected Democrat candidates like Gloria Johnson, the machines instead recorded votes for Republicans, such as Marsha Blackburn.
According to Representative Antonio Parkinson, multiple constituents reported pressing the button to vote for one candidate, only to have the machine register a vote for a different candidate.
Parkinson explained one particular case involving an elderly voter who had to press her chosen candidate’s name four times before it stopped switching her vote to the opposing candidate.
“I find this alarming because you think about people that go to vote, who might miss the fact that their vote switched,” said Parkinson.
“They hit the button to cast their ballot, thinking they cast a ballot for one person, and they ended up casting a ballot for another person.”
Parkinson noted that the only calls they’ve received have been from Democrats reporting that their votes switched to Republican, though he assumes Republicans are experiencing the same issues.
Parkinson’s concerns were echoed by Vanecia Kimbrough, who cited reports from voters across 10-12 precincts in the county, all facing similar issues.
Kimbrow attempted to downplay the situation, attributing the problem to the machines’ sensitivity and improper use of the provided styluses by voters, that the issue was not nefarious.
Kimbrough pointed out that the machines should have been used with styluses to prevent the touch screens from malfunctioning due to calibration issues, but many voters were allegedly not informed of this option.
“The equipment is very sensitive, and it’s fairly brand new. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do; we just need to use the equipment as it was designed. The boxes are designed for the stylus, and the printed names are designed to use your hand. It’s just a lack of communication and experience,” Kimbrow said.
Kimbrow also mentioned that any machine found to be repeatedly problematic would be removed and replaced.
For years, Democrats have dismissed concerns about election security, but now that their own candidates seem to be losing votes to Republican competitors, the tone has changed.
Hardaway expressed frustration with Election Administrator Linda Phillips, accusing her of failing to adequately prepare both voters and poll workers for these critical elections.
He called on voters to remain at their polling stations until their votes were properly cast and advised them to opt for paper ballots if necessary.
However, Shelby County Election Administrator Linda Phillips refuted the claims with the following statement, according to Action News 5.
“We are fully dedicated to ensuring a smooth and transparent voting process. So far, no irregularities have been identified. We strongly encourage all voters to carefully review their ballots before casting them. Poll workers are available at all precincts to provide assistance when needed. Additionally, video tutorials on using the voting machines are available on our social media channels. For all election-related information, please visit shelbyvote.com.”
Video via George Behizy:
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