During the heated 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial race, several voters in Davidson County experienced unexpected behavior from the county’s touchscreen voting machines. Voter Gladys “Mickey” McCowen said the machine displayed a different candidate than the one she selected, prompting her to call a poll worker and later a supervisor for assistance.
Voter experience and immediate response
“I pushed the middle of Jerri Green’s name and it came up Marsha Blackburn,” McCowen told reporters. “I was alarmed.” After the poll worker helped her navigate the issue, McCowen double‑checked her paper ballot, which accurately reflected her intended choices, and completed her vote. However, the incident left her uneasy about the reliability of the machines.
McCowen posted her concerns on social media, noting that she was not alone in encountering similar problems. “If it happened to me, what’s gonna keep the same machine from doing it again?” she asked.
County officials explain the technology
Davidson County Election Administrator John D. Richardson confirmed that the county has been using the same touchscreen machines for roughly a decade. He explained that the screens are pressure‑sensitive, meaning that light touches from fingers or nails can sometimes be misread.
“If they’re not accurate or you change your mind, just talk to a poll official,” Richardson said. To help voters avoid mis‑selections, the county is re‑introducing “stir sticks” – simple stylus‑like tools that allow voters to press the center of a button more precisely. “In fact, we’re bringing back the stir sticks for that reason. So folks would like to use a stir stick like a stylus. They can press the center and that way they can make sure that their vote is properly counted,” he added.
Statewide perspective
Mark Goins, Tennessee’s Elections Coordinator, said the county is hearing the most reports from Davidson and neighboring Williamson counties. He emphasized that the final vote is recorded on a paper ballot, which each voter reviews before casting.
“If anyone thinks that it would be intentional that votes would be flipping, there’s no way that someone would do that with all the checks and balances in place because the voter is going to visibly see who they selected at all times throughout the process,” Goins explained.
Advice for voters
McCowen urged fellow voters to stay observant and verify their selections on the paper ballot before finalizing their vote. “Just be more observant and careful when you do vote and don’t automatically assume when you pushed a button that will be the actual result,” she said.
Election officials continue to monitor reports and encourage voters to report any irregularities promptly. The reintroduction of stir sticks and the emphasis on paper‑ballot verification are intended to preserve confidence in the voting process while maintaining the integrity safeguards built into Tennessee’s election system.
Original reporting: NewsChannel 5 WTVF (Scripps) – local — read the source article.
