September 12, 2012

A controversial piece of equipment in Davidson County that was supposed to be shelved, may end up being used after all.

Some say they are losing trust in the election process.

Davidson County's new electronic poll books continue to draw criticism.

Some people complained the new devices defaulted some voters to the Republican ballot back in August, when they wanted a Democratic ballot.

Last week, Davidson County's Election Commission decided not to use the poll books in November, but now there's a move to reverse that decision.

"They did the right thing, now they're looking to go back on what the right thing is," says Mary Mancini with Tennessee Citizen Action.

Voter rights advocates called a news conference after they learned Commissioner Steve Abernathy has asked the Election Commission to reconsider.

"If they go ahead and do this, they are going to completely remove any trust that the citizens of Davidson County have in our elections at this point," says Mancini.

Election Administrator Albert Tieche confirms the issue will come up during Thursday's meeting.

Tieche stands by the poll books and says all the problems have been fixed.

"We have a really good handle on what went wrong, and it has been fixed, so restoring voter confidence is important, we intend to do that, and that's our situation," says Election Administrator Albert Tieche.

Commissioner Abernathy tells FOX 17 News the poll books save voters time and improve accuracy. He says he has investigated the problems and has confidence in the new machines.

Meanwhile Tennessee Citizen Action is calling for a full performance audit, believing the poll books undermine democracy.

"This process is not accurate, this process is not fair, and who is holding them accountable for this. How could they get away with this?," says Mancini.

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