Fact Check: "Voting Machines Were Altered Before the 2024 Election"
What We Know
A claim has circulated online suggesting that voting machines were altered before the 2024 election, implying that Vice President Kamala Harris won due to these alterations. This claim has been widely shared on social media platforms, raising concerns about the integrity of the election process.
According to AP News, a specific incident in Laurel County, Kentucky, where a voting machine allegedly switched a vote from Donald Trump to Kamala Harris, was investigated and found to be a result of user error, not fraud. Officials were able to replicate the issue by pressing between the boxes on the machine, rather than directly on the candidate's name.
Furthermore, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed that a video claiming a Haitian immigrant planned to vote multiple times was fake and part of a Russian disinformation campaign. U.S. intelligence agencies have corroborated that this video was created by Russian influence actors to sow discord.
The BBC reported that while there were numerous claims of voter fraud leading up to and during the election, these were largely unsubstantiated. The BBC noted that some isolated incidents, such as malfunctioning machines in Pennsylvania, were quickly resolved and did not affect the overall election outcome.
Analysis
The claim that voting machines were altered before the 2024 election lacks credible evidence. The Associated Press and BBC both highlight that the incidents cited as evidence of fraud were either user errors or disinformation campaigns. The AP's detailed investigation into the Kentucky voting machine incident shows that the problem was not systemic but rather an isolated case of user error.
The reliability of the sources debunking these claims is high. The Associated Press and BBC are reputable news organizations known for their rigorous fact-checking processes. Additionally, the involvement of U.S. intelligence agencies in identifying the fake video as a Russian disinformation effort adds further credibility to the debunking of these claims.
On the other hand, sources promoting the claim, such as Dissent in Bloom, lack transparency and do not provide verifiable evidence of widespread machine tampering. The narrative of voting machines being altered is consistent with previous disinformation tactics aimed at undermining trust in electoral processes, as noted by CBS News.
Conclusion
The claim that voting machines were altered before the 2024 election, leading to Kamala Harris's victory, is False. Investigations into specific incidents have consistently shown that these were either user errors or part of disinformation campaigns. There is no credible evidence supporting the claim of widespread machine tampering. Reputable sources, including the Associated Press, BBC, and U.S. intelligence agencies, have thoroughly debunked these allegations.