Election misinformation roundup: Fact-checking false and misleading ballot claims
Election Day has arrived, and with it, a flurry of false and misleading claims about supposed election interference. Tension among voters is high as polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in battleground states.
From false claims about typos, glitches and stray marks invalidating voters' ballots to misleading claims about voting machines changing people's votes, social media has been flooded with ballot-related misinformation as Americans across the country hit the polls.
Here's a roundup of ballot-related fact checks from the Paste BN Fact Check Team. See all of our latest work during and after Election Day on this page.
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The claim: Dot by Kamala Harris’s name on Kentucky ballot invalidates votes for any other presidential candidate
Our rating: False
A stray mark as shown in the post would not invalidate the vote, election officials said. There are safeguards in place for voters to clarify their choice or immediately cast a new ballot if a stray mark or printing error causes an overvote, according to the Kentucky Board of Elections. Elections officials also questioned the authenticity of the image, as the board was unaware of any complaints of pre-marked ballots in the state.
Full fact check: Dot printed near Harris on ballot would not invalidate vote for someone else
Claim: Trump's name on second page of California ballot is evidence of 'election fraud'
Our rating: False
The listing of former President Donald Trump on the last page of the ballot is not evidence of voter fraud. The candidates' order on the California ballot is determined by a randomized letter drawing corresponding to the first letter of the candidates' last names. The order rotates by assembly district so Trump was listed last in some districts.
Full fact check: Trump's name on second page of ballot is random, not 'election fraud'
Claim: Post implies glitchy voting machine in Kentucky is proof of election interference
Our rating: Missing context
The implication here is wrong. Officials investigated the incident and were able to recreate what’s shown in the video by hitting an area in between the boxes with the candidates’ names. The voter in the ballot confirmed her ballot was ultimately marked correctly, the secretary of state said.
Full fact check: Officials say Kentucky voting glitch an 'isolated incident'
Claim: Video shows a ‘ballot mule’ in Nebraska
Our rating: False
Nothing improper happened in the video, according to the Lancaster County, Nebraska, Elections Commission. It says the claim was investigated and officials called local police to alert that department to threats made against the man in the video.
Full fact check: Video shows man in Nebraska memorializing first vote for president
Claim: Trump's name misspelled on Virginia ballot is election fraud
Our rating: False
A Virginia election official said the typo appears on a rarely-used ballot review screen, not on the ballots themselves. It doesn't affect how people vote since it can't be seen until after voters make a selection on a paper ballot.
Full fact check: Trump name misspelled on voting machine review screen not 'election fraud'
Claim: Chicago suburb was 'not recording votes, just putting votes in a box'
Our rating: False
The ballots were handled properly and counted according to protocol, a Cook County Clerk's Office spokesperson said. They were stored temporarily in a locked ballot box until a scanner that malfunctioned was repaired. They were then scanned the same day so they could be formally accepted and will be counted with all other votes on Election Day.
Full fact check: Votes were still counted after ballot scanner broke in Illinois
Claim: Votes cast on ballots marked by poll workers are disqualified
Our rating: False
Multiple election experts said this isn't true. Many states require poll workers to mark or stamp ballots, and every jurisdiction has procedures for counting ballots the machines can't read if the mark interferes with automated counting.
Full fact check: Election officials debunk claim that marked ballots are invalid
Claim: Voting machines in Georgia are changing people’s votes
Spokespeople for Dominion Voting Systems and the Georgia Secretary of State's Office said such a thing is impossible, with the latter attributing it to user error. Experts in Whitfield County, Georgia, where one version of the claim originated, said the voter in question's ballot was replaced after they said it didn't reflect their choice.
Full fact check: Dominion, election officials refute claims that Georgia machines flip votes
Claim: Misspelling of Donald Trump’s name on Ohio ballot could invalidate votes
Our rating: False
A misprinted ballot would not invalidate votes, according to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. The board also said it has not confirmed that the image of a misprinted ballot circulating online is authentic, and it has not directly received any complaints of such errors.
Full fact check: Supposed Ohio misprint of Trump may be hoax, wouldn't affect vote tally
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