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Before you share an election claim, check where it came from, whether it is current and in context, and whether the election office responsible for that place confirms it. For U.S. registration, voting, and results, rules vary by state and locality; use the relevant official election authority for the answer that applies to you.
How can I tell if an election claim is true?
Treat a viral post as a lead to check, not proof. A screenshot, repeated social post, or urgent message does not establish that its claim is accurate. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recommends checking with a local election official before sharing potentially misleading election information in its Best Practices: FAQs — Rumor vs. Reality toolkit.
- Pause and preserve context. Find the original post, full video or document, date, and location. Emotional wording or pressure to forward a message is a reason to slow down, not proof that it is false.
- State the claim precisely. Separate a verifiable assertion, such as “the polling place moved,” from an opinion or prediction. Evidence about one voter, machine, precinct, or county does not automatically support a claim about an entire state or the country.
- Trace the source. Follow links to the original notice, public record, document, named speaker, or firsthand reporting. Check who published it, when, and whether that source is responsible for the jurisdiction involved.
- Check election details with the right authority. Use the EAC’s Voter FAQs to reach your state or territory election website, then check the applicable local page or contact the office using contact information you find independently.
- Seek independent corroboration. Look for records or reporting from another reliable source that confirms the same specific facts. A second account copying the first is not independent confirmation.
- Wait if it remains unsupported. Ask the relevant election office or a reputable fact-checking newsroom for context. If you cannot find a credible source or a second reliable source, do not forward the claim.
The FBI and CISA likewise advised readers to avoid sharing claims that lack credible sourcing or confirmation from a second reliable source in their October 6, 2022 public service announcement. It was issued for the 2022 midterm election cycle, so its publication date matters; the source-checking advice is useful without treating its threat assessment as new.
Where do I check my polling place, deadline, or ballot instructions?
Check with the election office responsible for your state or locality. Registration deadlines, eligibility rules, voting methods, polling locations, ballot-return instructions, ballot tracking, and result schedules differ by jurisdiction and election. A national article or social post cannot reliably supply your exact local rule.
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The EAC’s Voter FAQs provide state- and territory-specific links and broad voter information. Use the directory to reach the responsible authority, then confirm the current instruction on that office’s website or through contact information you locate yourself. Be cautious with unfamiliar websites, unsolicited messages, or requests for personal voter information, as the FBI and CISA guidance advises.
How do I verify a voting message, image, or video?
Look for the original material and check its date, location, and full context. A short clip may omit what happened before or after it, and a familiar-looking logo or official-sounding voice does not authenticate a message. The EAC warns that AI-generated text, images, video, and audio can imitate election officials and other official sources in its Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Election Administration resource.
- Search for the original upload or complete recording rather than relying on a cropped excerpt.
- Check whether the named official or organization confirms the information through a channel you navigate to independently.
- Compare the claim with the responsible election office’s current notice or public records.
- Do not treat realistic appearance, a copied screenshot, or repeated reposts as authentication.
Election systems also have safeguards, but general descriptions do not settle whether a specific incident occurred. The EAC’s Are Voting Systems Secure? page describes common practices including testing, audits, access controls, locks, cameras, and tamper-evident seals; those examples should not be mistaken for proof about every jurisdiction or individual event.
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How should I compare competing election claims?
| Check | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Authority and jurisdiction | Is this the election office responsible for the place and election, or an account without direct authority? |
| Origin and date | Can you trace the post to an original document or recording, and is it current? |
| Evidence and corroboration | Does it provide verifiable records or named sources? Can an independent reliable source confirm the same claim? |
| Scope | Does evidence about one voter, machine, precinct, or county justify the broader conclusion being asserted? |
| Election status | Is the information a preliminary report, canvass update, audit, recount, or certified result? |
| Local rule | Does the instruction apply to your state, county, election date, and voting method? |
Are election-night results final?
No. Election-night figures are preliminary reports, not the official end of the process. The EAC explains that officials may still count eligible provisional, absentee, mail, military, and overseas ballots. During the canvass, they aggregate and confirm valid ballots and reconcile records. Most states require a post-election audit, but the method and timing differ. Officials then certify results under state and local law; recounts and local procedures can affect when that happens. Media projections are not official results. See the EAC’s Election Results, Canvass, and Certification page for the process, and check the responsible jurisdiction’s election page for its certification date and final figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does a viral irregularity report actually establish?
It establishes only what the available evidence supports about that event. A clip of an apparent equipment problem, for example, does not by itself show how often the issue occurs or whether it affected a wider result. In an October 29, 2024 fact-check, the Associated Press reported that the Laurel County clerk attributed a ballot-marking incident to user error and described how officials recreated it. That is a dated account of one local incident, not a general ruling about every voting machine or later election. Read the Associated Press fact-check in that limited context.
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