Election

Do incorrect numbers posted to on-screen graphics during a live streamer's coverage of Election Night prove there was election fraud in the 2022 Pennsylvania governor's race? No, that's not true: Those graphics are not produced by election officials and are not official results. They are a live-streaming broadcaster's responsibility. Anchors during a live broadcast of Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN)…

Did the Internal Revenue Service donate thousands of dollars to the campaign of Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor of Arizona? No, that's not true: The U.S. government agency told Lead Stories in an email that "it does not contribute to political campaigns in any way, shape or form." In addition, the payment on the Hobbs campaign's financial report…

Do online photographs show absentee ballots arriving at a Detroit processing center on Election Day "hours after the legal deadline" for counting ballots? No, that's not true: Election officials in Detroit say late-night deliveries are the normal -- and legal -- part of the process of collecting absentee ballots for verification and tabulation. The claim appeared in a November 9,…

Did a poll worker in Dane County, Wisconsin get caught rigging ballots on live television? No, that's not true: The Dane County Clerk, whose office records election information, explained that this poll worker was doing routine work, preparing ballots to pass out to voters. The claim appeared in a Facebook post on November 8, 2022, with the caption "Rigging ballots…

Do midterm election graphs of unofficial, private election tallies used by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell on social media and on his Frank Speech website prove 2022 elections were stolen? No, that's not true: Spikes in the vote counts are a normal part of clean elections. A Lindell ally said he scraped and graphed data that Edison Research supplies to…

Will Michigan Proposal 2 give "violent felons" the right to vote from prison? No, that's not true: The proposal, which was on the state's ballot and passed during the 2022 midterm election, does not affect imprisoned people's ability to vote. Rather, it amends Michigan's Constitution to add various voting rights that are unrelated to prisoners. The claim appeared in a…

Did President Joe Biden's term start immediately after the 2020 election was called, thus influencing Donald Trump's decision to announce a second presidential bid for 2024? No, that's not true: Biden was not formally sworn into office until the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021, as the Constitution mandates. The 2020 presidential election was certified on January 7, 2021, after…

Do allegedly discovered "dozens of boxes" with "zero Bolsonaro votes" offer evidence confirming election fraud in Brazil? No, that's not true: Brazil doesn't use paper ballots -- voters cast ballots electronically. The claim appeared a tweet (archived here) published on November 7, 2022. It said: Update from Brazilian leaders: Military audit of the election will now be released Wednesday. Dozens…

Does a social media video demonstrate how to cast a fraudulent vote online in Washington state's King County, home to the greater Seattle area? No, that's not true: The county has an online system that allows voters to mark their ballots, but it doesn't record votes, a county spokesperson told Lead Stories. Ballots must still be printed, signed and returned…

Did a Pennsylvania judge's ruling allow mail-in ballots to be accepted and counted up until November 14, 2022? No, that's not true: According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, mail-in ballots must be received by the voter's respective county election office by November 8, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST. The tweet was originally posted on November 8, 2022, but later…