FACT CHECK: Is There a Nationwide Issue With Dominion Voter Access Terminals?
A viral video shared on X claims there is a nationwide issue with Dominion Voter Access Terminals.
🚨 NEW: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says there is a “NATIONWIDE ISSUE with Dominion Voter Access Terminals,” preventing voters from making certain selections.
Of course there is 🙄
According to her office, this “programming issue” CANNOT be fixed, and voters are… pic.twitter.com/O6HPChDMbK
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 30, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The issue is not nationwide, but limited to only Michigan, according to an online statement shared by Dominion Voting Systems.
Fact Check:
A final poll from NBC News finds 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump tied at 49% support among registered voters, according to the outlet. The poll is “essentially unchanged” from an October poll that showed both candidates were tied at 48% support, the outlet reported.
The X video, viewed over three million times, claims there is a nationwide issue with Dominion Voter Access Terminals. The video, which appears to be a news segment from WLNS, shows Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson answering a question about a programming issue involving Dominion voting machines. While responding to the question, Benson says the issue affects straight-party voting, was caught amid testing and early voting, and is nationwide.
The claim is false. According to Newsweek, the issue only affects the counties in Michigan “that use equipment from Dominion Voting Systems.” The outlet indicated that voters who selected the “straight party option” received an error message while casting their vote. The outlet also said the error would not change votes or prevent voting but would make the process a bit more “inconvenient.”
Likewise, a statement shared by Dominion reiterated that the issue is not nationwide.
“On November 1, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson corrected a prior misstatement about Dominion voting assistance terminals (VATs) that offer split party voting, stating that there is in fact no ‘nationwide issue’ with Dominion machines,” Dominion said, referencing a recent appearance Benson made on CNN.
“Secretary Benson clarified that Michigan voters seeking to use Dominion VATs can successfully complete and verify their ballot selections by following the instructions provided. She also confirmed that Michigan elections remain secure with Dominion machines, saying, ‘We have no issues of people being prevented from voting as a result of this. Ballot access is secure as well as accurate,'” they added.
A spokesperson for Dominion Voting Systems directed Check Your Fact to the statement when asked to comment on the claim. (RELATED: Are Voters In Kentucky Receiving Ballots Pre-Marked For Kamala Harris?)
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Nov. 4, Lead Stories debunked the claim. The outlet cited Michigan’s Election Fact Center, which also stated that the issue was limited to Michigan.
Check Your Fact has also contacted Benson’s office for comment.