Fact check: Voting machines were altered before the 2024 elections. Did Kamala Harris actually win?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal a complex landscape of claims and counterclaims regarding the 2024 election integrity. Multiple sources report that voting machines were indeed modified before the 2024 election, with Pro V&V, a private testing laboratory, making changes to machines used in over 40% of US counties ^{[1] [2]}. The director of Pro V&V characterized these changes as minor updates including "changing printers and adding mounting brackets," labeling them as 'de minimis' to potentially avoid full testing and public scrutiny ^[1].

However, more serious allegations suggest these modifications involved major tech companies. One analysis claims the changes involved Palantir and Elon Musk's Starlink, potentially allowing for remote access and manipulation of voting data ^[3]. These sources present a narrative of a coordinated effort to "rewire the election" rather than simply alter individual machines.

Concrete legal action has been taken in at least one jurisdiction. In Rockland County, New York, a Supreme Court judge ordered a full hand recount of presidential and state Senate ballots after irregularities were discovered, including districts where Kamala Harris received zero votes ^{[4] [5]}. This recount was initiated following a lawsuit filed by SMART Legislation over voting data irregularities ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several crucial pieces of context that emerge from the analyses:

• The scope and nature of machine modifications: While the statement implies nefarious alterations, one source suggests the changes were routine maintenance updates ^[1], while others describe a sophisticated technological operation involving satellite communications and data manipulation ^[3].
• Ongoing legal proceedings: The statement fails to mention that actual court-ordered recounts are currently taking place in response to these allegations, specifically in Rockland County, New York ^{[4] [5]}.
• Corporate involvement allegations: The analyses reveal claims of involvement by major technology companies including Palantir and Starlink, suggesting the issue extends beyond simple vote tabulation to broader questions of election infrastructure ^[3].
• Regulatory oversight gaps: The 'de minimis' classification that allegedly allowed changes to avoid full testing represents a significant regulatory loophole that the original statement doesn't address ^[1].

Powerful interests that would benefit from different narratives include:

• Technology companies like Palantir and Starlink, who would benefit from minimizing scrutiny of their election infrastructure involvement
• Election officials and certification bodies who would benefit from maintaining public confidence in the current system
• Political parties and candidates who would benefit from either validating or invalidating the current results

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several problematic elements:

Premature conclusions: The statement assumes as fact that machines "were altered" without acknowledging the disputed nature of these claims. While modifications did occur, their significance and intent remain contested (p1_s1 vs. p1_s3).

Lack of specificity: The statement fails to distinguish between routine maintenance updates ^[1] and alleged sophisticated manipulation schemes ^[3], treating all modifications as equally suspicious.

Unsubstantiated speculation: The question "Did Kamala Harris actually win?" implies a predetermined conclusion without presenting the evidence that would be necessary to make such a determination. While court-ordered recounts are occurring ^{[4] [5]}, their results are not yet available.

Missing credibility assessment: The statement doesn't acknowledge that some sources present highly speculative narratives lacking concrete, verifiable evidence ^[3], while others discuss unfounded conspiracy theories entirely unrelated to voting machines ^{[6] [7]}.

The analyses reveal this is an evolving situation with active legal proceedings rather than settled historical fact, making definitive claims about election outcomes premature and potentially misleading.