A continuous flow of inaccurate and misleading content is making its rounds online regarding the upcoming 2024 elections. Since the start of early voting, there have been false claims about Donald Trump’s ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania, allegations of excess registered voters in Michigan, and assertions that a Dominion voting machine in Georgia altered a voter’s selection.
Here are the verified details regarding these claims.
**Fabricated Video of Trump’s Ballots in Pennsylvania**
**CLAIM:** A video purportedly displaying ballots for Trump being destroyed in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, while those for Vice President Kamala Harris were set aside for counting has surfaced.
**THE FACTS:** The Bucks County Board of Elections has labeled this video as “fake.” They clarified that the materials shown in the video do not belong to the official election board. Law enforcement is currently investigating the matter. Bob Harvie, the board’s chair, and vice chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia condemned the video as “dangerous misinformation.” Their office determined that the video was deliberately fabricated to sow distrust ahead of the elections.
The individual who popularized this misleading video has a history of sharing narratives linked to a Russian disinformation network, raising concerns about possible foreign interference in this context.
**Misinformation Surrounding Michigan Voter Rolls**
**CLAIM:** Reports have circulated claiming that Michigan has 500,000 more registered voters than eligible voters, suggesting widespread potential for voting fraud.
**THE FACTS:** This claim lacks essential context. While it’s true that the total number of registered voters exceeds the eligible voters, it also includes individuals who are inactive but cannot be removed from the rolls immediately due to federal and state regulations. The count of active voters is considerably lower than the total eligible population, and experts assert that this disparity does not provide a basis for claims of rampant voting fraud.
Social media has featured numerous users insinuating that these figures indicate cheating in the forthcoming election, including remarks by billionaire Elon Musk. Musk directed criticism at Michigan’s secretary of state, claiming she is intentionally withholding accurate numbers. In response, Secretary Benson emphasized the facts, clarifying that there are approximately 7.2 million active registered voters, compared to about 7.9 million citizens of voting age, dismissing Musk’s claims as deliberately misleading.
As of July 2023, Michigan was reported to have 7.9 million voting-age individuals, which is about 500,000 less than the total registered count of 8.4 million. This discrepancy largely stems from the inclusion of 1.2 million listed as inactive; this group consists of those who haven’t voted for six years and those who have not confirmed their residency status. Under existing laws, these inactive voters remain eligible to vote until further action is taken.
Following planned cancellations of more than 339,000 voter registrations in 2025 and over 257,000 in 2027, Michigan has already removed over 800,000 registrations since 2019 due to various reasons, ensuring compliance with updated election standards. A lawsuit by the Republican National Committee claiming failure to maintain accurate records ultimately got dismissed by a U.S. District Judge for lack of legal standing and insufficient claims.
**Claims of Voting Machines Altering Votes in Georgia**
**CLAIM:** Allegations emerged that a Dominion voting machine in Whitfield County, Georgia, flipped a vote to a candidate not selected by the voter.
**THE FACTS:** This assertion is untrue. The local Board of Elections reported that during the early voting period, out of approximately 6,000 ballots, one individual’s ballot was spoiled. Nonetheless, the voter successfully cast a replacement ballot that accurately reflected their choice, confirming the voting machine functioned properly.
Gabriel Sterling, from the Georgia secretary of state’s office, noted that all instances of voters reporting mismatched selections stemmed from user error rather than machine faults. U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene had initially posted about a voting discrepancy in her district, later updating her statement upon clarification from election officials.
Whitfield County election officials further explained that Georgia law accommodates voters who wish to alter their printed selections, allowing immediate correction if an error is made. The equipment is taken offline only if there’s reason to suspect malfunction, a measure that was not necessary in this case.
