Official vouches for vote machines

The state’s chief elections officer is standing by its touch-screen voting machines after a review prompted by complaints that some of the devices had incorrectly recorded votes.

Secretary of State Betty Ireland says a technician from manufacturer Election Systems & Software has checked all the iVotronic machines in Putnam and Jackson counties. A handful of residents in each had alleged that machines switched their votes from Democratic to Republican candidates in several races.

Ireland has asked all 55 county clerks to recalibrate their machines each morning during early voting, which runs until Nov. 1, and on election day, Nov. 4.