Fact check: Election fraud in 2024

1. Summary of the results

The claims of election fraud in the 2024 election are not supported by evidence according to multiple authoritative sources. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly explicitly stated there was no evidence of malicious activity impacting election integrity ^[1]. Election officials and monitoring agencies have reported no significant issues with the election process ^[1]. While some election integrity groups made claims about "drop-off" vote patterns in swing states, these allegations remain speculative and are not under formal investigation ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the general fraud narrative:

• Vote Counting Timeline: Many states, particularly California, were still counting ballots as of November 13, making premature comparisons to previous elections misleading ^[3].
• Natural Voter Fluctuation: Election experts explain that voter turnout naturally varies between elections, and claims of "missing" votes are unfounded ^[4].
• Statistical Analysis: PolitiFact tracked 60 election-related claims, finding that approximately 70% originated from right-leaning sources ^[5].
• Types of Claims: Most allegations focused on vote counting, mail-in ballots, and voting machines, but none provided substantive evidence ^[5].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The spread of election fraud claims appears to have specific patterns and motivations:

• Political Bias: The vast majority (70%) of fraud claims came from right-leaning social media accounts, with only 8% from left-leaning sources ^[5]. This suggests a clear political motivation behind the spread of these allegations.
• Social Media Impact: Most unsubstantiated claims originated and spread through social media platforms ^[5].
• Premature Comparisons: Claims about missing votes or unusual patterns often relied on incomplete data, as vote counting was still ongoing in several states ^[3].
• Expert Consensus: Election experts, including Ishan Mehta from Common Cause, have explicitly stated there is "no evidence that any votes disappeared" ^[4], demonstrating a clear consensus among election security professionals against fraud claims.