Several posts on social media have made false or misleading claims alleging voter suppression and voting fraud across the United States. Below is a roundup of some of the claims we have fact-checked. We will update this list as necessary.
- A popular Democratic Facebook page falsely claimed supporters of President Donald Trump were blocking access to a polling location in Clifton, New Jersey, on Election Day. Local police and county officials said the claim wasn’t true and that the photo cited was taken two days earlier.
See “False Claim of Voter Intimidation in New Jersey” for more.
- A bogus Instagram post purports to be from an Erie County, Pennsylvania, poll worker who claimed he threw out over 100 pro-Trump ballots. But the chair of the Erie County Board of Elections said the person “does not work in any way with Erie County or have any part of Erie County’s election process.”
See “Bogus Posts Claim ‘Poll Worker’ Tossed Ballots in Pennsylvania” for more.
- Facebook posts misleadingly suggest that Pennsylvania voters are being prevented from voting by the state Department of Health. But voters told to quarantine due to potential COVID-19 exposure are entitled to vote and can request and return an emergency absentee ballot though 8 p.m. on Election Day.
See “Pennsylvania Voters Told to Quarantine Can Still Cast a Ballot” for more.
- A video suggests that there has been “voter fraud” in Utah, but all it actually shows is a misunderstanding of a poll worker’s mistake on the first day of early, in-person voting. The mistake was corrected and the system worked, as intended.
See “Video Doesn’t Show Voter Fraud in Utah” for more.
- A false claim alleges that mail-in ballots already filled out with votes for Democrats, including Joe Biden, were sent to voters in a New York City borough. A spokesperson for the New York City Board of Elections told us the ballot that triggered the allegation was the result of a voter’s error.
See “False Claim About ‘Pre-Filled Out Ballots’ in Queens” for more.
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