Ongoing Investigations in Michigan and Texas
This Article Includes
The Barry County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan has confirmed that it is providing information to state authorities in Texas about issues with Dominion voting equipment. Dominion, the voting equipment vendor, is currently under investigation for reports of malfunctioning during the 2020 and 2024 elections. Since December 2020, the Sheriff’s Office has taken a proactive approach to investigating election-related crimes, referring cases to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Nationwide Programming Issues with Voting Machines
Dominion voter access terminals have sparked criticism in the 2024 election due to countrywide concerns, particularly with split-ticket ballots. Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, has acknowledged these difficulties. Casting a ballot has become more challenging for voters, particularly those with impairments who use Dominion Voter Assistance Terminals (VATs) to mark their ballots. Voters must carefully follow the instructions to confirm their ballot selections, or they may receive an error message.
Implications for Voters
This issue arises when voters initially opt for the’straight party’ option, but subsequently change their vote. While the issue does not prevent people from voting or making their preferred selections, it may cause trouble for those voters who use VATs. Voters using these machines are required to either select the’straight party’ option for a straight vote, or vote for each race on the partisan ballot if they wish to split their ticket. Despite the inconvenience, Michigan officials indicated that it was difficult to resolve these programming flaws during the current election cycle.
State Response and Public Reactions
Dominion Voting Systems responded to the revelation by assuring the public that voters can still cast their ballots and select their preferred candidates without any issues. However, this statement contradicts the experiences of voters who have encountered difficulties with Dominion machines, causing frustration and skepticism. The functioning of Dominion voting machines has become a hot topic on social media, with tech mogul Elon Musk even questioning the situation. Furthermore, users have highlighted the reliability of paper ballots and expressed concerns about the potential for manipulation with voting machines.
Increasing Concerns about Election Integrity
Vote fraud is not only a concern in Michigan but also in other states like Pennsylvania and Colorado. In Colorado, for example, Democrats mistakenly posted voting machine passwords online, which was later identified as a security breach by Republicans. These incidents, along with other ongoing problems and controversies, are leading to increased calls for a shift back to paper ballots and manual hand counts.
The concerns with Dominion machines could have serious consequences for America’s voting system and its integrity. The controversy and resulting skepticism in the system may lead to court disputes, voter discontent, and the necessity for significant system overhauls in the future. It will be critical to follow the progress of continuing investigations of Dominion voting machines in Michigan and Texas, as well as the implications for future elections.
