Jackie Herrud has voted in Tennessee her whole life. Last week, at an early voting site in Williamson County, she tapped the name of the candidate she wanted to vote for, and the machine kept going back to a different name. She kept pushing, and finally the machine registered the right candidate. Afterward, she told a Nashville reporter she was “very nervous about making sure that my vote was going to be counted right.”
She wasn’t alone. A handful voters elsewhere in Tennessee, and at one county in Florida, described similar experiences this week. By midweek, a copy-and-paste post was going viral through social media feeds and group chats, sounding the alarm for people not just in Tennessee and Florida, but nationwide, that something wasn’t right.
We know how fast these stories spread. Someone you love sends a screenshot with three siren emojis. Someone else replies, “this is why I’m not voting.” In hours, a frustrating-but-fixed experience for a small handful of voters turns into a reason for many more people to stay home.
Real Threats to Our Elections Deserve a Real Response
I helped write Your Group Chat Guide to the Election for weeks like this. It starts with what we all know: There are real threats to our elections, like voter intimidation and maps drawn to silence Black and Latino voters, and those threats deserve a real response.
But other reports are just rumors that take on a life of their own in election season. Some of those come from people who want us to give up and not vote. Others come from neighbors who care deeply and are worried about our country.
Many of the people re-posting the reports of machine malfunctions this week are in the second group. They care about this election and our country, and they’re scared of losing it. That fear deserves respect. But when we pass a rumor along, even if we’re trying to debunk it, we inadvertently spread it it to people who’ll only remember the scary parts.
Check Your Ballot Before You Cast It
When the voting machine post lands in your group chat, here’s how to respond:
Reassure voters; let them know they’re in charge of their own vote. Every voter gets the final say on their ballot before it’s cast. On a machine or on paper, review your choices before you submit. If something looks wrong, fix it before you cast it.
Skip the repost. Don’t share, quote, or link the viral video, even to say it’s wrong. Some of the footage going around of supposedly faulty machines isn’t even from this election.
Flag problems for someone who can fix them. Poll workers are our neighbors, and they’re there to help. A poll worker can restart the session, move them to another machine, or give them a paper ballot. If a voter is still worried after casting their ballot, they should call 866-OUR-VOTE and their local election office.
End with what we can do. Make your plan, check your ballot before you cast it, and call 866-OUR-VOTE if you need help.
The Group Chat Guide Has Replies Ready for More Rumors
Machines won’t be the last rumor this election season. The Group Chat Guide covers seven more viral stories to watch out for, and what you can say if they come across your screen.
If your coworker says they heard mail ballots won’t count this year: “You can vote however works best for you. If you vote by mail, be sure to return your ballot in person as soon as possible.”
If a family member says votes counted after Election Day are suspicious: “Election Night is a snapshot. The count often takes days, and that’s normal.”
If a neighbor says ICE agents and DOJ monitors will be at the polls: “The Trump administration is trying to control our elections. Rumors of federal forces at polling locations can scare Black and Brown people away from voting. But together, we are powerful, and we refuse to be intimidated.”
And if a friend says large numbers of noncitizens are voting: “The Trump administration is manufacturing a crisis to try to our votes, and deny results they don’t like. We won’t be manipulated. Together, we will vote, and see all eligible votes counted.”
Download the Guide Before You Reply to the Next Rumor
Download Your Group Chat Guide to the Election and keep it on your phone. When a rumor shows up in your feed or your group chat, open it before you post or reply. Screenshot the box at the top and send it to your people: “In America, voters choose our leaders. Leaders don’t choose their voters.”
Jackie Herrud didn’t walk away from the machine that was giving her fits. She stayed until her ballot said what she meant it to say. This week, let’s spread the right messages so everyone we love does the same.
To a just and joyful future,
Tyler
