Stella Parton, the sister of country music icon Dolly Parton, shared on social media that she had trouble casting her ballot during early voting in Tennessee, adding to reports from voters who say they encountered issues with voting machines.
Parton, a vocal Democrat, made multiple posts about her issues voting early in the midterm election.
"Again, I remind you to double check your ballot before you print it out and put it through the machine. I finally called over a poll worker when my ballot kept flipping to the wrong candidate on the third try," Parton wrote on Facebook Wednesday. "No, this is not a joke! But what good is your vote if the machines are 'fixed' this is the issue here."
Parton said she voted at the Hermitage Library and that her vote kept defaulting to Marsha Blackburn.
What Have Election Officials Said?
Election administrators said voters can verify their selections on the review screen to correct any errors before casting their ballots.
"Tennessee's voting systems are designed with multiple safeguards to help ensure that ballots are recorded consistent with voter intent," Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins told The Tennessean regarding the reported issues.
It was not clear whether the issue reported by Parton stemmed from a machine malfunction, user error or another cause. Voters who encounter problems are encouraged to alert poll workers immediately so the issue can be investigated.
Newsweek reached out to Tennessee's election officials for comment by email Wednesday.
Who's on the Ballot in Tennessee?
Tennessee's election features several high-profile statewide contests, including the race for governor between Republican U.S. Senator Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city council member. Voters are also choosing a U.S. senator, with Republican incumbent Bill Hagerty facing Democrat Marquita Bradshaw in a rematch of their 2020 contest.
All nine of Tennessee's U.S. House seats are on the ballot, along with all 99 seats in the state House of Representatives and 17 seats in the state Senate.
Early voting in Tennessee began on October 14 and runs through October 29. Voters are also being asked to weigh in on three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution covering bail, state property taxes and crime victims' rights.
The election comes during one of the most competitive political cycles in the state in years, with the open governor's race drawing significant attention following outgoing Gov. Bill Lee's term-limited departure.
Who is Stella Parton?
Stella Parton is a country singer, songwriter, actress and author who is best known as the younger sister of country music icon Dolly Parton. Born as one of 12 children in a large musical household in East Tennessee, she launched her own recording career in the 1970s and has released dozens of albums spanning country, gospel and Americana music.
...
In addition to her music career, Stella Parton has remained active in public advocacy and political discussions, frequently sharing her views on social media and commenting on issues ranging from voting rights to public policy.
Her comments about experiencing a problem while voting during Tennessee's early-voting period attracted attention because of her public profile and her connection to Dolly Parton, one of the state's most famous cultural figures.
While often identified through her relationship to her superstar sister, Stella Parton has maintained a decades-long entertainment career of her own and has built a significant following as a performer, writer and commentator.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas