How claims of rigged voting machines in the US have left voters sceptical

As misinformation, conspiracy theories, and unsubstantiated claims about vote tampering continue to spread in the United States, both state and local election officials in the US are working tirelessly to counter this flood of misinformation.

A surge in voting misinformation in the US

Conspiracy theories, from alleged vote-flipping by machines to claims of
non-citizen participation have resurfaced in the US.

Just under two weeks before Election Day, officials are balancing their standard duties — overseeing early voting and managing logistical preparations for November 5 — with the added task of combating widespread misinformation.

“Truth is boring, facts are boring, and outrage is really interesting,” says Deidre Henderson, Utah’s Lieutenant Governor and a Republican overseeing elections in her state. She describes the battle against misinformation as “like playing whack-a-mole with truth.”

Meanwhile, AP quoted David Becker, a former US Justice Department lawyer and current head of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, highlighted the strain this flood of misinformation places on officials, saying, “This is making election officials’ lives much more difficult.”

Eric Olsen, an election overseer in Prince William County, Virginia, says social media’s powerful role makes combating these false narratives daunting. “It’s really difficult from our position, a lot of times, because social media feels like a giant wave coming at you, and we’re in a little canoe with a paddle,” he remarked.

Claims of vote manipulation and voting machine failures in the US

Several recent cases have heightened public suspicion, despite evidence disproving these claims. In Georgia, where the race is expected to be tight, US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene pointed to a supposed case of vote-flipping.

🚨 CHECK YOUR BALLOTS GEORGIA!

Reports from Whitfield County, GA that Dominion machines are flipping votes.

This is exactly the kind of fraud we saw in 2020 and it cannot be tolerated.

I will be working to investigate this issue and ensure the integrity of our elections in… https://t.co/1rYyQAhE6E pic.twitter.com/0yaBBINPC3

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) October 18, 2024

The incident involved one voter out of 6,000 ballots, according to election officials, who said the machine registered the voter’s intended choice accurately upon rechecking.

“There is zero evidence of a machine flipping an individual’s vote,” said Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State’s Office, stating the role of voter error over machine malfunction.

Similar incidents were reported in Tennessee, where officials attributed reports of vote changes to human error, noting that voters were using fingers instead of styluses on touch-screen machines.

Meanwhile, the spread of unverified content on social media has further fuelled public suspicion.

Jerrod Sessler, a Republican Congressional candidate in Washington, shared a video allegedly demonstrating the ease of creating fraudulent ballots. However, state officials clarified that every returned ballot undergoes verification, and ballots with mismatched information are not counted.

Musk joins the vote rigging bandwagon

The controversy surrounding Dominion Voting Systems, one of the largest voting machine providers, persists from the 2020 election cycle. Recently, Elon Musk mentioned Dominion in a rally, casting doubt on the trustworthiness of its machines.

Dominion remains at the heart of several conspiracy theories following the 2020 election, which led to a defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Last year, Dominion received a $787 million settlement from Fox after false claims were repeatedly broadcasted.

Musk’s influence in spreading these conspiracy theories to his 200 million followers has further complicated efforts to maintain election integrity. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has expressed frustration over Musk’s role in promoting misinformation.

“If he was sincerely committed, as he says he is, to ensuring people have access to information,” Benson said, “then I would hope that he would amplify the truthful information…instead of just amplifying conspiracy theories.”

Rising public distrust in voting in the US

Concerns over election legitimacy are increasingly prevalent. A Gallup survey from September found only 19 per cent of Americans fully trust the election process, a sharp decline from 2004 when this figure was 6 per cent.

Distrust is highest among Republicans, with only 28 per cent expressing confidence in a fair election process. This is down from 44 per cent in 2020, when claims of election fraud gained traction despite no substantial evidence to support them.

Setting a record, more than 310,000 people voted in Georgia on October 15, the first day of early voting, nearly double the turnout from 2020. Election Board member Janelle King of Georgia supports prioritising accuracy over speed, telling AP, “What I don’t want to do is set a precedent that we’re OK with speed over accuracy.”

In recent months, Georgia’s Election Board attempted to mandate a manual ballot count. However, Judge Robert McBurney blocked the rule, describing the measure as “too much, too late,” and warning that it would “add uncertainty and disorder.”

Election boards play a crucial role, especially in swing states like Georgia, where the 2020 presidential margin of victory was just 0.2 per cent.

Rachael Cobb, a political scientist at Suffolk University, says the belief in manual counts’ superiority can be misleading. “Humans make mistakes,” she told Deutsche Welle. “Machines also make mistakes, but we can test, audit and fix them.” Cobb said that machines are far more consistent than humans, especially when election workers are already overwhelmed by their workload.

The final question: Are voting machines in the US secure?

Election officials have strengthened security around voting machines after
Russia scanned US voter systems for vulnerabilities in 2016, reported AP. No data was altered then, but the incident led the federal government to label election systems as critical infrastructure.

Now, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency provides free cybersecurity reviews to election offices. However, computer security experts argue more is needed, urging limits on certain voting technologies, like ballot-marking machines.

Concerns have also risen over security breaches following the 2020 election when Trump allies accessed voting systems in Georgia and elsewhere, increasing risks by exposing critical software. Experts have called for federal investigation due to potential threats.

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Officials implement several safeguards, including locked rooms, restricted access, and tamper-evident seals. Voting machines are tested before elections to verify accuracy, and postelection reviews help catch any errors.

A paper trail exists for about 98 per cent of ballots this election year, which officials say is essential to verify votes accurately, even if issues arise.

The continual questioning of voting integrity is already leading to increased harassment and threats against election workers. For many experts, the persistent undermining of election confidence is a disturbing trend in democratic societies.

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With inputs from agencies

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