Before sharing an election claim, trace it to its original source, check its date and context, verify election-specific details with the responsible state or local election office, and look for independent corroboration. If credible confirmation is missing, do not forward it. This guide focuses on U.S. elections; voting rules and official results depend on the state and locality.
Use a repeatable check before sharing
- Pause and preserve context. Find the original post, full clip, or complete document rather than relying on a screenshot or excerpt. Check when and where it appeared. Urgent or emotional wording is a reason to slow down, not proof that a claim is false.
- State exactly what is being claimed. Separate a checkable fact, such as a polling-place change, from an opinion, prediction, or interpretation. Keep the claim’s scope precise: evidence about one voter, machine, precinct, or county does not by itself establish a wider pattern.
- Trace it to the first available source. Follow links to the original notice, record, document, recording, named speaker, or firsthand reporting. Check who published it, when, and whether that person or office is responsible for the jurisdiction in question.
- Verify election details with the right election office. Use the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s state and territory directory to find the relevant election authority, then check its current information or contact the office through details on its known website. The EAC is a directory and general resource; local rules govern specific voting instructions.
- Seek independent corroboration. Look for reliable reporting or records that independently establish the same specific facts. A second social post repeating the first is not independent confirmation. FBI and CISA advise against sharing claims when no credible source or second reliable source can be found.
- Wait if the claim remains unsupported. You can ask the responsible election office or a reputable fact-checking newsroom for context. Until credible confirmation is available, do not amplify the claim.
The EAC’s Best Practices: FAQs toolkit puts the principle plainly: “It is always best to check with your local elections official whether something is true or not, before sharing it with others to ensure that you are not unintendedly spreading false and misleading election information.”
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Evaluate a claim on six axes
| Check | Ask |
|---|---|
| Authority and jurisdiction | Is this the election office responsible for the place and election in question, or an account without direct authority? |
| Origin and date | Can you find the original document or recording, and is it current? |
| Evidence and corroboration | Does the claim point to verifiable records or named sources? Can an independent reliable source confirm the same specific facts? |
| Scope | Does evidence about one incident support 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? |
Where to check registration, voting instructions, and results
Registration requirements, deadlines, voting methods, polling locations, ballot tracking, and return instructions vary by state and sometimes by locality. A national article or social post cannot safely establish the exact rule for your situation. Start with the EAC’s Voter FAQs and state and territory election links, then confirm the current detail on the responsible election office’s website or through contact information you reach independently.
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Be cautious with unfamiliar websites, senders, or unsolicited requests for personal voter information. FBI and CISA recommend checking a message against official sources rather than trusting an unfamiliar link. If a site or message looks official, navigate to the election office’s known channel yourself instead of using its link.
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Check suspicious images, audio, and video
Look for the full recording or original upload, verify the claimed date and location, and confirm the statement with the named official or organization through a channel you found independently. The EAC warns that AI-generated text, images, video, and audio can imitate election officials or official sources. A realistic appearance or voice does not authenticate a message.
Match an irregularity claim to evidence from that event
A clip of an apparent problem may show an incident, but it does not alone establish its cause, scale, or effect on an election. In an October 29, 2024 fact-check about a ballot-marking incident in Laurel County, Kentucky, the Associated Press reported that the county clerk attributed it to user error and described how officials recreated it. That account concerns one dated local incident; it is not a general finding about voting machines or later elections. The EAC describes safeguards commonly used in voting systems, including locks, tamper-evident seals, cameras, testing, audits, and access controls, but common practices do not prove what happened in a particular jurisdiction or incident.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are election-night results final?
No. Election-night figures are preliminary reports, not the official end of the count. As the EAC explains in its Election Results, Canvass, and Certification guidance, officials continue counting eligible ballots, which may include provisional, absentee, mail, military, and overseas ballots. The canvass aggregates and confirms valid ballots and reconciles records. Most states require a post-election audit, but methods and timing differ. Officials certify results under state and local law; recounts and local procedures can affect timing. Media projections are not official results. Check the responsible jurisdiction’s election page for its certification date and final figures.
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