Long lines for voters requesting on-demand mail-in ballots in the U.S. swing state of Pennsylvania fueled a wave of disinformation on social media, including posts misleadingly claiming that a video of people being turned away from an office in Levittown, proves there is election interference. The workers in the clip assured residents that their applications would be processed, and if they were unable to obtain ballots by the deadline – which a court order later extended – officials told AFP they could still vote in person on November 5. 2024.
“Voters are being told to simply fill out their registrations/ballots and hand them over to election workers; they will put them in the machine later,” says an Oct. 31 post by X from Wall Street Apes, an account that has previously spread misinformation.
“Pennsylvania is doing everything it can to interfere in this election.”
The messages include a video with text claiming that voter rights have been “denied in Levittown, Pennsylvania,” located in Bucks County.
In the footage, an irritated crowd receives instructions on how to complete and receive election materials. Two workers trying to reassure voters that their applications will be processed, and one of the men instructs people to indicate whether they want the ballot “sent to your house or for you to pick it up.” Thursday.”
The same video spread across X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok with nearly identical captions claiming interference as voters were instructed to leave their paperwork with an election worker to be processed later.
In the run-up to the neck-and-neck elections between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Donald TrumpMultiple baseless claims of voter interference plagued the key swing state of Pennsylvania — including a fake video of ballot shredding in Bucks County that the U.S. intelligence community linked to Russian disinformation campaign.
The latest messages are similar misleading.
Pennsylvania law does not allow officials to process or count ballots before the election Day (archived here). Bucks County spokesman James O’Malley told AFP that all ballots “are in the secrecy envelope and in the return envelope, and are kept in our office, sealed until 7 a.m. on Election Day, which is the earliest time the law allows us . to begin opening and processing those ballots.”
The only in-person voting available in Pennsylvania before Nov. 5 was on-demand mail-in ballots, which people could personally request, fill out and submit in one go. visit (archived here). Voters also had the option of taking such ballots home and later mailing or mailing them place them in a drop box.
O’Malley told AFP the process can take around 15 minutes per person, resulting in long wait times Levittownnortheast of Philadelphia.
Although O’Malley couldn’t speak directly about the situation in the clip, he said that on Oct. 29 — the deadline for requesting mail-in ballots (archived here) — election workers gave some voters the option to sign up and then choose have their materials in order for a few days later.
Jonathan WALTEROlivia BUGAULTSabrina BLANCHARDAFP
A judge extended the on-demand voting period for voters in Bucks County by two days after the Trump campaign claimed voters were rejected before the end of the day in October. 29.
O’Malley said Bucks County closed the lines based on how long the process was estimated to take. Another video on social media appears to show officials turning people away after 1:45 p.m. instead of closing time company.
O’Malley said anyone in line at a Bucks County location before it closed could apply during the court-ordered extension on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. He added that any voter who had not been issued an on-demand ballot could still apply. in-person voting on Election Day.
Read more about AFP’s reporting on disinformation about the 2024 elections here.
