ATLANTA — Reports are emerging of voting machines altering ballots, discrepancies in registered voters versus eligible individuals, and instances of noncitizens participating in elections. As Election Day approaches in less than two weeks, state and local election officials find themselves faced with a growing wave of conspiracy theories and misinformation regarding the electoral process. Their time is being consumed not only in overseeing early voting but also in addressing and debunking these claims ahead of November 5.
“Truth tends to be dull and fact-based, while outrage grabs people’s attention,” remarked Utah’s Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who is responsible for overseeing elections in her state. “It’s akin to a game of whack-a-mole when it comes to addressing the truth. Our objective hinges on disseminating as much accurate information as possible.”
This upcoming election marks the first presidential election since former President Donald Trump began propagating claims about widespread voter fraud that he alleged cost him his re-election in 2020. Such unsubstantiated assertions have significantly eroded public trust in the electoral system and the officials managing it, particularly among a considerable faction of Republican supporters. Comprehensive investigations conducted in the past revealed no evidence of extensive fraud or tampering with voting mechanisms during that election cycle. Moreover, battleground states where Trump contested his defeat have verified President Joe Biden’s victory.
Recently, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene asserted that a voting machine had tampered with a voter’s ballot in her Georgian constituency during early voting. Additionally, Elon Musk, the noted billionaire and owner of the social media platform X, has furthered various conspiracy theories regarding voting machines and election fraud both through online channels and during a rally for Trump in Pennsylvania.
David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney now leading the Center for Election Innovation and Research—a nonpartisan organization collaborating with election officials—stated that the current environment has made it increasingly challenging for election officials to fulfill their responsibilities.
“Election officials are facing significant difficulties,” he remarked.
In Virginia, Eric Olsen oversees elections within Prince William County and recognizes the difficulty of combating misinformation as part of his role. “It’s quite a challenge, often feeling like we are in a small canoe while social media presents a colossal wave against us. Nonetheless, we must engage in this necessary work,” he said.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has persistently attempted to instill skepticism regarding the impending election—a tendency he has displayed throughout his previous attempts to win the presidency. Following his successful bid in 2016, he claimed that illegal votes had led to his loss of the popular vote and subsequently established a presidential advisory group to investigate. The commission was disbanded without uncovering any widespread fraud.
This election cycle, Trump has begun claiming that Democrats will once again resort to cheating, employing the phrase “Too Big to Rig” to motivate his base to vote. Experts in election matters caution that such rhetoric may serve to set the stage for him to contest the election results should he not emerge victorious.
The circulation of false allegations regarding election integrity has tangible repercussions, contributing to increased harassment, threats, and a turnover among election personnel, as well as the violent events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Emerging conspiracy theories during recent weeks echo longstanding claims of “vote flipping,” particularly seen in Georgia and Tennessee. A case in Georgia’s Whitfield County garnered attention from Greene on Alex Jones’ “InfoWars,” a platform infamous for disseminating false narratives. Jones was previously penalized with a $1.5 billion fine for falsely asserting that the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012 was fabricated.
Whitfield County election officials responded by clarifying that the situation involved a single voter among 6,000 who had cast ballots during early voting. The original ballot had been spoiled, but the individual was able to submit a replacement that was counted. Officials assured there were no issues with the voting machines.
Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office, stated that every report about a printed ballot not aligning with a voter’s touchscreen selections stemmed from user error. “We’ve seen no evidence whatsoever that a machine has flipped anyone’s vote,” he emphasized. “In cases where older voters may have difficulty and might press the wrong button, that is the primary concern we’ve encountered. There is unequivocally no evidence of machine-induced vote flipping—this claim was a falsehood in 2020, and it persists incorrectly today.”
In Shelby County, Tennessee, election officials attributed reports of altered votes to human error, noting that voters were using their fingers instead of a stylus on the voting machines.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, Republican Jerrod Sessler, running for the 4th Congressional District, circulated a video that purported to demonstrate how easily fraudulent ballots could be produced. However, the video failed to mention that each ballot’s voter information is rigorously verified against the state’s voter registration list. “Any ballot submitted with fraudulent voter registration will not be counted and is illegal in Washington state,” clarified Charlie Boisner, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office.
Musk referenced Dominion Voting Systems during his remarks at a Pennsylvania rally, implying that the company’s equipment lacked credibility. Dominion has been at the epicenter of conspiracy theories following the 2020 election and previously settled a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for $787 million over defamatory statements repeatedly broadcasted by the network. A judge confirmed that the allegations made by Trump’s associates were unequivocally false.
In response, Dominion stated that it is “vigilantly monitoring claims surrounding the upcoming Nov. 2024 election” and is “fully poised to protect our business and clients against falsehoods and those who propagate them.”
Musk had not issued a response to requests for comment by the time of this writing. Over his 200 million followers on the X platform, Musk has continuously shared misinformation regarding voter fraud. He has frequently clashed with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, particularly over Musk’s assertion that Michigan had more registered voters than eligible voting individuals, a claim countered by Benson, who clarified that Musk was accounting for inactive voters slated for removal. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from the Republican National Committee regarding alleged voter list issues in the state.
Benson expressed her disappointment about Musk spreading incorrect information. “If he genuinely valued sharing accurate information, I would hope he would prioritize amplifying the truth about our election security, rather than perpetuating conspiracy theories that incite public anger towards election officials like us.” She highlighted that such misinformation creates a new battleground that was not a concern in the 2020 election.
