Voting machines stand ready in a Texas school gymnasium. Credit: Credit / Desiree Rios

Despite concerns among Texas voters that touchscreen voting machines are switching their candidate selections, such a scenario is highly unlikely, according to a top official with government watchdog group Common Cause.

Any apparent changes to voters’ selections most likely stem from touchscreen sensitivity, not nefarious programming, Emily French, Common Cause Texas’ policy director, said during a call with reporters.

“The machines are not switching your ballot,” French said. “It may not reflect what you had in your brain when you pressed your finger to it, but people are used to touching iPhones and not Palm Pilots, and voting machines in Texas can often feel a lot more like a Palm Pilot than an iPhone.”

French’s comments came after KSAT last week reported on at least three instances in which early voters alleged Bexar County voting machines switched their choices. The incidents reportedly occurred at the Converse Community Events Center, Wonderland of the Americas and Macedonia Baptist Church.

In all three reported incidents, voters told KSAT that their selections changed from Democratic candidates to Republicans.

The incidents come as pro-democracy nonprofits and constitutional lawyers say they’re gearing up for possible attempts by the Trump administration to undermine this year’s midterms. Civil rights groups said they have prepared for scenarios ranging from the White House ordering the seizure of ballot boxes to sending ICE to polling stations.

“We know that President Trump and his administration are terrified of losing the upcoming election,” Michael Sozan, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said during a recent press call. “They and bad actors are actively attempting to sow confusion, fear and doubt about the election system. They appear to be continuing to manufacture lies about the integrity of the elections to enable them ultimately to dispute the valid election results later.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in San Antonio on Sunday that Democrats are ready to protect voting rights if the Trump administration tries something on Election Day.

“Democrats have stood up the largest voter protection effort in the history of a midterm election in America,” Jeffries told the Current. “We understand that it’s the American people who should be the ones to decide who’s in the majority in the next Congress, and we’re going to make sure that’s exactly what happens on Nov. 3.”

Although fears about election integrity are real, Common Cause’s French said it’s highly unlikely any outside force can cause voting machines to switch votes from Democrat to Republican.

Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew reiterated in a Friday statement that the county’s equipment is secure. Even so, she said her office is responding to complaints and communicating with the machines’ manufacturer to determine whether any action is needed.​

“If a printed ballot appears not to match a voter’s intended choices, the voter should notify a poll worker immediately,” she said.

Early voting continues through Oct. 30. Polls will reopen on Election Day, Nov. 3. Residents may check their voter registration status and information about polling locations and times at the Bexar County Elections Department website.

Those who encounter instances of voter intimidation or feel their right to vote is being infringed upon, may call 866-OUR-VOTE to voice their concerns and seek legal advice.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...