Former President Donald Trump claimed he “sent in the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys” to Broward County during the 2018 election to stop “ballot theft” and help Ron DeSantis become Florida’s governor. But a spokesman for the county elections office said there was no “federal law enforcement presence” for that […]
Facts Check
COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce, Not Increase, Risk of Stillbirth
SciCheck Digest There is no link between COVID-19 vaccination and an increased risk of stillbirth, despite such claims online. In fact, vaccination has been shown in multiple studies to reduce the risk of stillbirth by protecting pregnant people and their babies from the coronavirus. How do we know vaccines are […]
Bogus ‘Sharpiegate’ Claim Resurfaces in Pennsylvania Election
Quick Take Dominion voting machines have had no issues reading ballots filled out with Sharpie pens. But an Instagram video spread the false claim that ballots filled out with Sharpies could not be counted by voting machines in Pennsylvania’s 2022 election. A Pennsylvania Department of State spokesperson said the claim […]
Ballot Printer Delayed Maricopa Voting, Contrary to Unfounded Claims
Quick Take Tabulating machines at some polling locations in Maricopa County, Arizona, couldn’t process ballots during part of Election Day, though affected voters could leave their ballots in a secure box or go elsewhere to vote. But some conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, made the unfounded claim that the […]
‘Harmless Data Error’ to Blame for Glitch at Some Detroit Polling Places, Contrary to Trump’s Post
A “harmless data error” resulted in a glitch at some Detroit polling precincts that incorrectly registered some in-person voters as having already been issued an absentee ballot, the city elections department said. The issue was resolved, and ballot security safeguards are in place to prevent duplicated votes, it said. Former […]
Legal Battle in Pennsylvania over Undated Mail-in Ballots
Even before the polls opened on Election Day, a potentially significant legal battle erupted in Pennsylvania over whether to count mail-in ballots with an incorrect or missing date on the outside envelope. On Nov. 7, the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman filed a federal lawsuit against county boards […]
The 2022 FactCheck Awards
Summary We are very serious fact-checkers, but we also like to have a bit of fun. That’s why every two years, on Election Day, we recognize a few of the many political ads we see during the campaign cycle with some not-to-be-taken-seriously awards. A couple of things that stood out […]
Counting Mail-In Ballots Delays Results, But Doesn’t Denote Fraud
Quick Take Mail-in ballots have become a popular way to vote in the U.S. But the unfounded claim persists that mail ballots lead to rampant fraud and, if counted after Election Day, they are suspect. By law, many states don’t start counting mail ballots until after polls close, and some […]
Major Themes of the Midterms
Voters are about to get a respite from the political attack-ad onslaught: Election Day is tomorrow. That means no more messages from Democrats attacking Republicans over abortion rights or the future of Medicare; no more Republicans blaming Democrats for inflation or crime. At least for a little while. Before the […]
Posts Misrepresent ‘Not Verified’ Code on Pennsylvania Ballot Applications
Quick Take Pennsylvania uses a “not verified” code on mail-in ballot applications if a voter’s identity couldn’t be immediately verified; voters have six days after an election to submit a valid ID. But an Instagram post and some Republican leaders — including former President Donald Trump — falsely claim the […]