West Virginia’s chief elections officer is standing by the state’s touch-screen voting machines after a review prompted by complaints that some of the devices had incorrectly recorded votes.
Secretary of State Betty Ireland says a technician from manufacturer Election Systems & Software has checked all the iVotronic machines in Putnam and Jackson counties. A handful of residents in each alleged machines had switched their votes from Democratic to Republican candidates in several races.
“There are no problems with the machines as re-calibrated,” Ireland told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “Touch-screen voting in West Virginia is accurate and secure.”
Ireland also has asked all 55 county clerks to re-calibrate their machines each morning during early voting, which runs until Nov. 1, and on Election Day, Nov. 4.
Blaming both poorly calibrated machines and “voter error” for the complaints, Ireland urged voters to ask poll workers for help if they have problems or questions while casting ballots. She also thanked the 10 or so residents who had phoned her office to report switched votes.
“Each got to vote for the candidates of their choosing,” Ireland said.
About 35,000 people have cast their ballots since early voting began Oct. 15, according to Ireland’s office.
Thirty-five counties rely on the touch-screen machines for all voting, while all 55 counties offer at least one per precinct to ensure disabled voters can cast ballots on their own. They have been used in four prior state elections, Ireland said.
Each machine also prints a paper record, and Ireland said voters can check them before they leave the polling place.
“We’re very confident that the electronic votes match the paper votes,” she said.
Ireland also said more than 350 people from ES&S, her office and the governor’s Office of Technology will spread out across the state on Election Day to respond to any problems.