While there have been some predictable issues with the technology that makes the US elections possible, the voting system was mostly functional as of early Tuesday afternoon, according to nonpartisan groups. They stressed that strong contingency plans are in place to ensure voters can continue to cast their ballots and that their votes are counted in case any issues arise.
Members of the nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition, which runs a hotline for voters seeking information or assistance at polling places, said they have received reports of fairly standard technical issues so far. These include spotty Wi-Fi connections that affect electronic voter polls that more efficiently register voters, inaccurate calibration of voting machine touchscreens and failures of ballot scanners. The issues do not appear to be widespread or severe enough to significantly affect access to the polls, but they could increase wait times in some cases.
Comments on Technology Performance
Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told reporters during a virtual briefing on Tuesday afternoon that while “there have been some isolated incidents, for the most part, people are arriving at the polling locations today, they’re checking in with poll workers, and they’re able to cast their ballots.” Hewitt said that’s particularly “remarkable” in light of the rampant spread of election disinformation and litigation around efforts to restrict certain voters’ access. “Democracy works when you let it, and sometimes we need to give it a nudge to make sure that there are no obstacles in the way,” Hewitt says.
“Like any type of technology, equipment can sometimes fail, but what’s important are the resilience processes in place to keep voters voting in real time,” said Pamela Smith, president and CEO of the nonprofit Verified Voting. Smith said there were some reports of voting machines failing at polling places, asking voters to come back later. She argues that voters shouldn’t have to go to the polls a second time in these situations. Voters have the right to request a paper emergency ballot (as opposed to a provisional ballot), which they can fill out and cast their vote.
Some voters have reported that their voting machines have issues that cause them to select a different candidate than they intended, Smith said. These kinds of issues often provide fodder for conspiracy theories, stoking distrust in the process. But Smith says there’s a pretty mundane explanation: It could happen if the machine isn’t properly calibrated, or if the voter touches an obscure spot on the screen, or accidentally touches it somewhere they didn’t mean to. She advised voters to tap the name of their preferred candidate instead of the little checkbox, and to make sure their clothing doesn’t touch the screen.
