Michigan Secretary of State Discloses 'Nationwide Issue' Impacting Certain Dominion Voting Machines
Michigan's Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, has identified a problem affecting some Dominion voting machines, which she has called a "nationwide issue."
According to Benson, voters using the Dominion ICX Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) may face issues if they attempt to vote for candidates from different parties, as reported by WLNS-TV. The VAT machines are designed to assist individuals with disabilities in casting their ballots.
“This is a nationwide issue with Dominion voter access terminals in the counties that use them,” Benson stated, clarifying that the problem specifically impacts accessible machines.
Split-ticket voters using a Dominion ICX Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) on Election Day should be prepared for straight-ticket/split-ticket programming issues when marking their ballot, according to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.https://t.co/1D2SbPFMI5
— WLNS Newsroom (@WLNS) October 28, 2024
"Of course, not all the machines, just the ones that are accessible, have an issue. With the straight-party voting and a programming issue, that’s again affected the machines nationwide," she added.
The issue was discovered too close to the election to allow for immediate repairs, Benson explained.
“All of us who used Dominion machines were unhappy to learn about this during the testing period and as early voting began,” she noted, adding that her office is collaborating with Dominion to address the issue.
Benson’s office, which is responsible for Michigan elections, is working with local clerks to inform voters about this programming problem. “We’re ensuring voters are aware of this programming issue that will require them to make sure they are voting every section on the ballot,” Benson explained.
Every polling location in Michigan has a voter assist terminal to support voters with disabilities. According to a press release from Benson's office, the programming issue means that those using the Dominion ICX VATs must choose either a "straight party" option or vote for each partisan race individually if they wish to split their ticket.
Barbie Benson says Voter Assist Terminals (VAT) for the disabled are not registering straight party ballots in Michigan. She now claims she will “seek accountability” from Dominion. When do the voters get accountability from her for using defective Dominion in the first place?… https://t.co/OT791gr7qD pic.twitter.com/mYqKvxSr5V
— Heather Dow (@PatriotPostGirl) October 29, 2024
The release clarified that while this is common in other states, Michigan voters traditionally have the option to vote straight party and then adjust their choices for specific races.
If a voter using a Dominion VAT selects a straight-party vote but then tries to split their ticket, the machine will produce an error message. In such cases, the voter must either unselect the straight-party option and vote race-by-race or vote straight party without changes.
The statement further noted that while the issue will not alter any votes or prevent anyone from casting their preferred selections, it may cause inconvenience for some users of the VATs.