Kentucky election officials push back on viral 'vote-switching' video

Election officials successful Kentucky are pushing backmost connected unfounded allegations of wide elector fraud aft a video depicting an evident method glitch connected a ballot-marking device amassed tens of millions of views connected societal media.

Officials opportunity nan video depicts a "voter error" that is easy preventable and did not effect nan voter's last ballot.

In nan viral video, a elector successful Laurel County, Kentucky, appears to beryllium attempting to pat connected Donald Trump's sanction connected a touchscreen voting machine, which selected nan action for Kamala Harris. The video cuts disconnected abruptly and does not show nan voter's last ballot.

A spokesperson for nan Kentucky caput of authorities said that nan video shows "voter error."

"Our Office has received nary complaints astir 'vote switching' aliases different long-ago debunked rumors. We contacted nan region clerk, who confirmed elector correction and that nan ballot-marking instrumentality useful correctly," nan spokesperson said.

According to Laurel County Clerk Tony Brown, nan elector who posted nan original video was capable to formed their ballot arsenic intended.

The video shows a ballot-marking instrumentality that produces a insubstantial ballot aft a elector selects their choices, according to Brown.

An ExpressVote instrumentality is seen during early voting astatine a polling position astatine nan Black Mountain Public Library successful Black Mountain, N.C., Oct. 21, 2024.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Voters person aggregate opportunities to corroborate their prime earlier a ballot is printed, and voters tin reprint their ballot doubly if they are not satisfied pinch their choice.

"Once you are satisfied pinch your ballot, you whitethorn spot it into nan scanner, and it verifies that it has been counted," Brown said.

Brown acknowledged that predetermination workers were capable to recreate nan rumor 1 time, "after respective minutes of attempting to recreate nan scenario."

"This was accomplished by hitting immoderate area successful betwixt nan boxes. After that we tried for respective minutes to do it again and could not," Brown said.

Both nan Laurel County Clerk and Election Systems & Software -- nan institution that produces nan ExpressVote ballot marking instrumentality -- suggested nan video inaccurately depicts really nan instrumentality usually functions.

The Laurel County Clerk's Office shared a video of a personification tapping done nan campaigner options without issue, to show that nan instrumentality useful well.

"In nan video posted you tin spot america going backmost and distant done nan names pinch nary issues. This is nan aforesaid instrumentality utilized by nan elector successful nan video," Brown said.

In a statement, an Election Systems & Software spokesperson said that issues pinch their touch surface voting machines are "rare."

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump noted connected X that predetermination officials were incapable to find immoderate errors erstwhile testing nan machine.

"The ineligible squad astatine @GOP instantly investigated a voter's study of a instrumentality malfunction that wouldn't prime President Trump successful Kentucky. We called predetermination officials directly. They separated nan machine, conducted due testing, didn't find immoderate errors, and confirmed that voters could formed their ballots properly," Lara Trump said.

The Laurel County Clerk's agency said nan instrumentality was taken retired of work instantly aft nan incident.

"Detectives person been successful touch pinch nan region clerk and recommended they alteration retired nan voting machine," Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said successful a statement. "All Kentucky voters tin person assurance that our elections are unafraid and immoderate imaginable issues will beryllium addressed quickly."

"Touch surface voting machines do not flip votes," Election Systems & Software said successful a statement.

"Voting machines are designed to accurately seizure a voter's choices, and let them to spot and verify those choices connected surface and connected a insubstantial ballot earlier casting that insubstantial for tabulation," nan connection said. "There is nary script successful which a elector would beryllium forced to formed a ballot that they judge did not bespeak their intentions."