PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from November 4.
As vote counting continues in states like Pennsylvania, the eyes of the nation are shifting to the battleground states as we await the results of the 2020 General Election.
Of course, many are interested in the outcome of the Presidential Race, but we have a few local races yet to be decided in the Commonwealth, as well.
With all the extra time while awaiting results, social media has been abuzz across the country with claims of voter fraud and the spread of misinformation.
The same is true right here in Pennsylvania.
We took a look at a few of these social media posts and claims to determine their validity:
Photo of Lancaster County mail-in voting numbers goes viral
In the screenshot of a newscast, it reads that 108,539 mail-in ballots were requested in Lancaster County.
The next portion states that only 89,681 of those mail-in ballots were returned.
The tricky part is this: the final line states that over 142,584 mail-in ballots were counted.
Obviously, it is impossible to count more ballots than have been mailed out.
According to VotesPa, here are the actual totals:
- 107,946 ballots were issued to voters
- 91,076 ballots were cast
- 71,596 were counted as of 9:00 a.m. Thursday
The use of a Sharpie will invalidate your ballot
Sharpie Markers have come under the microscope across the country after several viral claims say that those ballots won't count.
The markers became a growing election controversy in Arizona, which is a swing state that could prove to be pivotal in declaring a victor.
Videos went viral of people talking about the usage of Sharpies in polling locations which allegedly invalidated ballots, with some even claiming Republicans were specifically targeted.
While it hasn't reach that point in Pennsylvania, York County officials tweeted this in response to claims they have seen online:
Do you have a social media claim about election you'd like us to investigate? Email us at news@fox43.com with the details.