Fact-checking Election Day claims: False claim of voter intimidation in New Jersey
Video above: FBI investigating robocalls
Here's what happened as voters flocked to polls Tuesday for Election Day.
Facebook page falsely claimed that 'Trump supporters are blocking access to polling sites'
By Angelo Fichera, FactCheck.org
As Election Day carried on throughout the country, social media posts circulated a baseless claim that supporters of President Donald Trump were intimidating voters in Clifton, New Jersey.
But local police and county officials said the claim was false and that the photo purporting to show the incident had been taken two days earlier.
A Democratic called The Other 98%, which has 6 million followers, the claim early Nov. 3, stating: 맥스카지노Trump supporters are blocking access to polling sites at Clifton City Hall, New Jersey맥스카지노this is a Class A Felony!! What would you do if this piece of crap was standing between you and your right to vote?맥스카지노
The post included a photo of a man holding a pro-Trump flag near a drop-off ballot box outside of . It was shared nearly 3,000 times.
But the Passaic County clerk, whose office elections, said her office had received no such complaint.
맥스카지노The Passaic County Clerk맥스카지노s office has not received information about anyone blocking access to voting locations today,맥스카지노 Danielle Ireland-Imhof, Passaic County clerk, told us in an email. 맥스카지노This year맥스카지노s election in New Jersey has been primarily vote-by-mail.맥스카지노
Likewise, the Clifton Police Department addressed the matter in a , saying: 맥스카지노Our agency has been notified via various media outlets that there have been reports (today) of voter intimidation occurring at the ballot box located in front of Clifton City Hall. It should be noted that these reports are entirely false.맥스카지노
In a phone interview with FactCheck.org, said a police report was filed about the incident two days earlier, on Nov. 1, when a man took a photo with a pro-Trump flag in front of the ballot box. It was deemed a 맥스카지노suspicious act.맥스카지노
But Bracken said surveillance footage showed the act was brief and that police did not see evidence that the man was harassing or intimidating voters. Police referred the matter to the state attorney general anyway, since it pertains to voting issues, he said.
Lee Moore, a spokesman for the New Jersey attorney general맥스카지노s office, said in an email that 맥스카지노[o]ur office is aware of a photograph being circulated on social media that is being described as Trump supporters blocking the ballot drop box. Our understanding based on prior reports is that the photograph is not from today.맥스카지노
Moore also noted that 맥스카지노Clifton City Hall has a ballot drop box but is not a polling site.맥스카지노 He declined to comment beyond that, saying the office could not 맥스카지노confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.맥스카지노
Video: Federal government watch center tracking disinformation
Bogus Instagram claims to be poll worker who threw out over 100 pro-Trump ballots
By Robert Farley, Factcheck.org
The Erie County Elections and Voting office in Pennsylvania was inundated with calls on Election Day about an purporting to be from a county poll worker who claims he threw out 맥스카지노over a hundred ballots맥스카지노 for Trump that morning.
The post from a person claiming to be states, 맥스카지노Been working at a poll station in Erie county, PA all morning. A lot of people have already voted today:) I맥스카지노ve thrown out over a hundred ballots for trump already!! Pennsylvania gonna turn blue in 2020!!맥스카지노
The bogus claim was amplified on and in the Instagram post.
But the post was later discredited by Erie County Board of Elections Chair Carl J. Anderson III, who issued calling it false.
맥스카지노Erie County has checked into the unfortunate claim being shared across social media by someone saying they are working as part of the Erie County Board of Elections and throwing out ballots,맥스카지노 Anderson stated. 맥스카지노The person making the statements does not work in any way with Erie County or have any part of Erie County맥스카지노s election process. In fact, the individual is not a registered voter and is not believed to be a resident of Erie County, Pa.맥스카지노
맥스카지노Erie County Board of Elections takes the integrity of the election process very seriously, and we are proud that the people working on behalf of the voters in Erie County do so in a nonpartisan, fair and unified fashion for the betterment of our community,맥스카지노 Anderson continued. 맥스카지노I have spoken with [Erie County] Sheriff [John] Loomis to verify if this person is a resident. Because this is now part of an ongoing investigation to pursue potential criminal charges, no further statement will be made on this matter.맥스카지노
Attorneys general: Calls providing false info, seeking to influence voting
Robocalls are giving false information about when people should vote in at least 18 states. The calls are bogus and not from election officials, the chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission said. People must abide by their locality's rules about polls, which close Tuesday.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office has received reports of multiple calls to Flint residents that falsely state there are long lines and incorrectly claim voting continues Wednesday.
Nessel said the calls are obviously false and "an effort to suppress the vote."
Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen said his office has received to voters telling voters to 맥스카지노stay home and stay safe.맥스카지노
Additionally, Democratic party leaders in Orange County, Florida, has been telling people to stay home on Election Day.
The eight-second call says: "Just a test call. Time to stay home. Stay safe and stay home."
"Whether you're a Republican, an NPA (No Party Affiliation), or a Democrat, your voice matters. Do not let these last-minute intimidation tactics scare you," Orange County Democratic Party Chair Wes Hodge said.
Other states where people have received automated texts or robocalls have included Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
The FBI said it's "aware of reports of robocalls and have no further comment. As a reminder, the FBI encourages the American public to verify any election and voting information they may receive through their local election officials."
President Trump cites economic stat, providing incomplete picture
President Donald Trump is hailing economic gains without giving the full context in a post encouraging people to vote. on Twitter that the economy is growing at 33.1%, referencing a for the third quarter맥스카지노s real gross domestic product. The president failed to note, however, that in the second quarter, the real GDP decreased by 31.4%.