Dolly Parton's Sister Claims Tennessee Voting Machine Kept Defaulting to Marsha Blackburn Despite Three Corrections

Stella Parton, Dolly Parton's younger sister, claimed that a Tennessee voting machine kept selecting Republican Marsha Blackburn instead of her preferred candidate at Hermitage Library despite three corrections.

Her account emerged a week after early voting began on 14 October, as Tennesseans chose candidates for governor, Congress and the state legislature. Other voters have also described difficulties with electronic ballot selections, although the cause of the incidents has not been established.

Stella Parton Names Blackburn in Tennessee Voting Machine Complaint

Parton, a country singer and vocal Democrat, detailed the experience in a Facebook post and urged voters to check selections despite queues.

'In Tennessee last week at the Hermitage Library where I voted, I had to go back three times and correct my vote because it kept defaulting to Marsha Blackburn. I would never vote for her for anything.'

She added in the same post that voters should persist even when lines are long, writing, 'I'm putting this out here because when we vote, we take it seriously but we try not to hold up the long lines. Do it anyway. Don't let them rig this election.'

In an earlier post on 21 October, Parton described calling for assistance after repeated difficulty making her selection.

'I finally called over a poll worker when my ballot kept flipping to the wrong candidate on the third try. No, this is not a joke! But what good is your vote if the machines are 'fixed' this is the issue here.'

What Tennessee Voting Machine Officials Tell Voters to Check

Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins addressed the broader reports in comments to The Tennessean, emphasising checks before a ballot is submitted.

'Tennessee's voting systems are designed with multiple safeguards to help ensure that ballots are recorded consistent with voter intent,' Goins told The Tennessean.

Voters can first examine the candidate displayed on the selection screen. A subsequent review screen lists their choices. A printed ballot or paper record provides another chance to check them.

Election officials advise anyone encountering an unexpected selection to notify a poll worker or their county election commission immediately, before casting the ballot. Parton said she corrected her selection before casting her ballot, but the cause of the incident remains unclear.

Tennessee Voting Machine Claims Surface in Wider Election

Another Facebook user described initially attributing a similar experience to an accidental touch before noticing other complaints online. Claims have also circulated on X about voting difficulties in Tennessee and other states, but the complaints do not establish a widespread malfunction.

The attention falls on the open governor's race between Republican US Senator Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city council member. The seat is being vacated by term-limited Governor Bill Lee. Republican Senator Bill Hagerty also faces Democrat Marquita Bradshaw in a rematch of their 2020 contest.

Tennessee voters are choosing representatives for all nine US House districts, all 99 seats in the state House and 17 state Senate seats.

Early voting continues until 29 October. The Tennessee Secretary of State's office encourages voters to inspect their selections before submitting ballots and to raise any difficulties while still at the polling station.