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To evaluate a political claim, identify exactly what is being asserted, trace it to its original source, inspect the evidence, and check whether independent credible sources corroborate it. For voting rules and official election status, use the election office responsible for the place and election in question. Those are separate tasks: a campaign claim and a polling-place notice need different kinds of verification.
Start by separating facts from opinion and prediction
Campaign material can mix factual assertions with arguments, forecasts, rhetoric, and value judgments. A factual assertion can be checked against records or evidence—for example, whether a law was passed on a particular date. A prediction about what a candidate might do is not yet a settled fact; a value judgment such as whether a policy is fair depends on criteria and priorities as well as evidence.
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Rewrite the statement in a testable form: who is said to have done what, where, and when? Keep the original wording nearby, since a paraphrase may remove a qualification or change the claim.
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Stanford’s Civic Online Reasoning framework offers a practical starting point: “Who’s behind the information?”, “What’s the evidence?”, and “What do other sources say?” Digital Inquiry Group, Civic Online Reasoning
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1. Who is behind it?
Find the author, organization, publisher, and publication date. Consider relevant expertise and interests, but do not treat a source’s own description of itself as proof of reliability. Look at how other credible sources describe it, and whether it explains its methods and corrects errors.
2. What is the evidence?
Follow links to the full speech, interview, campaign document, law, official notice, dataset, or study—not just a screenshot or secondhand summary. Check whether the underlying material actually supports the statement. Confirm the time period, comparison, and definitions, and note any context left out. A precise-looking number, chart, photo, or video is still something to verify, not proof by appearance.
For an image or video, search for its earliest available appearance and compare the caption, date, location, and surrounding context. Elections Canada recommends finding the original source and comparing information and visuals with other sources; its guidance is for the Canadian federal election context, not a substitute for U.S. election rules. Elections Canada, “Digital literacy”
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3. What do other sources say?
Look for independent reporting or fact-checks that show their evidence and method. Several sites repeating the same claim do not amount to independent corroboration if they all rely on one original post or document. For a prominent campaign claim, the UK Electoral Commission suggests checking whether a fact-checking organization has already examined its accuracy or authenticity. This is UK guidance: the Commission says it does not regulate campaign-material content or verify campaign claims, though it does respond to false information about voting and electoral processes. UK Electoral Commission, “Engaging with campaign material at elections”
Check voting instructions with the election authority for that place
Dates, eligibility, registration, polling places, voting methods, recounts, audits, and certification procedures vary by jurisdiction. For a U.S. election, verify a claim about when, where, or how to vote with the state, territorial, or local election office responsible for that election. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission directs voters to state and territory election websites; the FBI advises checking official election-office notices. U.S. Election Assistance Commission, voter information · FBI, “Election Crimes and Security”
For another country, use its own election authority. Elections Canada covers Canadian federal elections; the Electoral Commission’s campaign-material guidance applies to the UK. Neither authority determines U.S. voting rules.
- Confirm the election and jurisdiction named in the notice.
- Check the date it was published and whether a newer official notice supersedes it.
- Use an official election-office page or contact channel rather than relying on a forwarded message or screenshot.
- If information appears designed to prevent someone from voting, consult the responsible election office and the FBI’s guidance on suspected voter suppression.
Understand why election-night numbers can change
In the United States, results shown on election night are preliminary, not certified. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission states: “The election results reported on election night are never the final, certified results.” U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Election Results, Canvass, and Certification”
Election offices may still be counting eligible provisional, absentee, mail, military, and overseas ballots after polls close. In the canvass, officials aggregate and reconcile valid ballots; certification is the officials’ attestation that the results accurately account for votes cast. Final results may take several days or, in some cases, weeks to post, according to the EAC’s voter FAQ. U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Voter FAQs”
Procedures and timing differ among jurisdictions, and state and local officials determine certification dates. The EAC says most states require post-election audits, but their timing and methods differ; that does not mean every state follows one identical process or that any single safeguard guarantees perfection. Check the relevant election authority’s page and distinguish unofficial returns from certified results.
Assess election-security allegations precisely
Do not collapse different events—public exposure of records, unauthorized access, alteration, disruption, and an effect on votes—into the broad claim that “the election was hacked.” Ask what system was involved, where and when the alleged incident occurred, and what primary forensic or official evidence supports the claim.
In a September 12, 2024 advisory, the FBI and CISA said voter-registration information is often publicly available and that access to such information alone does not indicate a database compromise. As of that advisory’s publication, the agencies said they had no information that a cyberattack had prevented a U.S. election, changed voter registration, prevented an eligible voter from voting, compromised ballots, or disrupted timely vote counting or transmission of unofficial results. That is a time-bounded statement by the agencies, not a claim about every later event. FBI and CISA, “Just So You Know: False Claims of Hacked Voter Information Likely Intended to Sow Distrust of U.S. Elections”
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- The 2024 ERG guide helps satisfy 49 CFR 172.602 DOT requirement. This requirement states that hazmat shipments be accompanied by emergency response info.
- Small convenient pocketbook size aids in emergency preparedness, planning, and training with ERGs numerically indexed and color-coded to help emergency responders find vital information fast.
- 2024 Updates: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) released a comprehensive summary of updates. Most significantly a QR code on the back cover that provides access to critical incident reporting information.
- Other changes for 2024 have been made to continue to provide the most accurate emergency response information to help all front-line persons and all first responders stay safe during transportation emergencies.
- Specifications: 4" x 5 1/2" Pocketbook Size, English, Softbound. Copyright 2024.
Choose sources according to the question
No single source answers every political question. Match the source to the fact you need to establish:
| Question | Best starting point | What it can establish |
|---|---|---|
| Where, when, or how to vote | The responsible state, territorial, provincial, or local election office | Rules and logistics for its jurisdiction and election |
| What the official results are | The election authority responsible for canvass and certification | Its published returns, canvass status, and certified results |
| What a law, speech, or dataset says | The original law, full transcript, official record, or data publisher | The underlying material, subject to checking context and interpretation |
| Whether a broader political claim is supported | Primary records plus independent reporting and transparent fact-checks | Corroboration, context, and the strength or limits of the evidence |
When comparing sources, consider how close each is to the original fact, whether it applies to the right place and date, whether its evidence and methods can be inspected, whether its corroboration is independent, and whether it distinguishes fact from inference or allegation. Official election authorities are the first stop for their own procedures and results, but they may not settle every dispute about a candidate’s wider policy claims.
Describe what you found without overstating it
After checking, label the claim only as strongly as the evidence allows. “Verified” means the available evidence supports the specific factual statement. “Unsupported” means adequate supporting evidence has not been found; it does not automatically prove the opposite. “Misleading” is appropriate when a statement uses a real fact in a way that gives a materially wrong impression. “Not yet established” can fit an unresolved allegation or incomplete count.
Before sharing a correction or a claim, include its source, date, and relevant qualification. Link to the primary record where possible. A missing record or an incomplete count is not, on its own, proof of fraud. Elections Canada puts the pause plainly: “If you get breaking news from an unknown source, take a few moments before assuming it’s true.” Elections Canada, “Digital literacy”
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