Fact check: Were there any reported issues with electronic voting systems in the 2024 election?

1. Summary of the results

Yes, there were several reported issues with electronic voting systems during the 2024 election. Technical difficulties and equipment malfunctions were documented across multiple states ^[1]. The most significant reported issue involved over 30,000 absentee ballots in Milwaukee that needed to be retabulated due to tabulator machines not being properly locked overnight ^[1]. Additional problems included printer issues with voting equipment and vote-counting technology challenges ^[1].

Beyond mechanical failures, the election also faced text message-based disinformation campaigns targeting voters ^[1]. There were concerns about software updates being made to voting machines without proper testing, which became the subject of legal challenges questioning election accuracy ^[2]. However, the director of a federally accredited testing lab stated that the approved changes were not significant ^[2].

Misinformation also played a role, with false claims circulating about voting machines, including a debunked video purporting to show a machine switching votes from Trump to Harris, which was actually due to user error ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about the broader security framework surrounding electronic voting systems. While issues occurred, sources emphasize that there is no evidence these vulnerabilities were exploited to impact election outcomes ^[4]. The U.S. election system demonstrated overall resilience despite the reported technical problems ^[5].

Election security experts and technology companies benefit from highlighting both vulnerabilities and security measures, as this supports continued funding for election infrastructure improvements and cybersecurity services. Verified Voting, a prominent election security organization, advocates for voter-verified paper ballots as a solution to electronic voting concerns, arguing that current systems create opportunities for software errors and make meaningful recounts impossible without paper records ^[6].

Political actors and media organizations benefit from different narratives - some gain from emphasizing election security and resilience, while others benefit from highlighting vulnerabilities to support claims about election integrity concerns.

The analyses reveal that public trust in elections can be undermined simply by exposure to reports of cyberattacks, regardless of partisan affiliation ^[7], suggesting that even discussing these issues has measurable effects on democratic confidence.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and factual, simply asking about reported issues. However, it lacks context that could prevent misinterpretation. The question doesn't distinguish between technical malfunctions that were resolved versus security breaches that affected outcomes.

The framing could inadvertently amplify concerns without acknowledging that disinformation campaigns and misinformation were significant factors in the 2024 election landscape ^{[1] [4] [3]}. False claims about voting machine manipulation were actively debunked by fact-checkers ^[3], indicating that not all "reported issues" were legitimate technical problems.

The question also doesn't account for the psychological impact of merely discussing voting system vulnerabilities, which research shows can erode public trust in elections regardless of whether actual security breaches occurred ^[7]. This suggests that how these issues are discussed and contextualized is crucial for maintaining democratic confidence.