The Bexar County Elections Department says it is monitoring concerns from voters who say they experienced issues with touchscreen selections or printed ballots during early voting.
KSAT has received dozens of messages from viewers describing concerns at several voting locations. Their accounts vary, and KSAT has not independently verified each report.
Some voters told KSAT they had to tap a selection more than once. Others said a choice did not appear as they expected when they reviewed their ballot.
Margie Garcia said she voted Monday at McCreless Library. She said she carefully reviewed her choices on the touchscreen before printing her ballot.
After it printed, Garcia said she saw a different Senate candidate than the one she intended to select.
“I printed the ballot and I normally don’t check it,” Garcia said. “But this time I just felt I just wanted to check it and I did and I noticed that the Senate candidate listed on the ballot on the printed ballot was not the candidate that I intended to vote for.”
Garcia said she told a poll worker about the issue, received a new ballot and verified that the second printed ballot reflected her intended choices before she cast it.
Across town, Christine Castro said she and her husband voted Thursday afternoon at the Northside Activity Center on Culebra Road. Castro said some selections appeared to change on the touchscreen before she printed her ballot.
“For me, it was like two to three times,” Castro said. “I had to keep doing it. And it was, like, I would touch it and it would automatically turn to the other candidate.”
Castro said she checked her printed ballot before submitting it and said it reflected her choices.
In a statement, Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew said the Elections Department is aware of recent concerns suggesting voting machines are “switching” selections. The department is communicating with the voting-machine manufacturer to determine whether any action is needed, Carew said.
The department said reports of mismatched selections are “almost always” related to user touchscreen sensitivity, rather than a machine malfunction. It advised voters to use a firm, direct tap and ask poll workers for assistance if needed.
Carew said voters should confirm every selection before moving to the next screen, review all choices before printing and verify the printed paper ballot before casting it.
“If a printed ballot appears not to match a voter’s intended choices, the voter should notify a poll worker immediately — before casting the ballot — so the issue can be resolved,” Carew said in the statement.
The county said there is no recourse under state law once a ballot is cast.
The Elections Department also said Bexar County uses Logic and Accuracy testing, chain-of-custody procedures and post-election audits. County officials said voting machines are not connected to the internet.
Election Systems & Software, the voting-machine manufacturer, told KSAT it does not have widespread reports from election officials of voting-technology issues. The company also encouraged voters to seek help from poll workers before casting a ballot if they have difficulty making a selection.
