USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.
Pennsylvania presidential election results shown in broadcast not genuine | Fact check
The claim: Presidential election results aired during Formula 1 race are evidence of 'cheating'
A Nov. 1 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes an image of a Formula 1 telecast with supposed vote totals for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump at the bottom of the screen.
"How does ABC 'accidentally' show the Presidential election results for Pennsylvania with 100% of the votes counted and Kamala Harris won by 5%?" reads text on the image, which is a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The Instagram post's caption reads, "Cheating already. Here we go again! Do you think this will be an honest election?"
The Instagram post was liked 100 times in a day.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: False
This isn't evidence of electoral fraud or "cheating." An ABC affiliate in Pennsylvania said it mistakenly aired mock results for the 2024 presidential election while preparing for Election Day coverage. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State also said the results were not real, as mail-in ballots haven't yet been counted in the state.
'Not possible' authentic election results aired before Election Day, PA state department says
The image with the supposed presidential election results comes from an Oct. 27 broadcast of the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix on ABC affiliate station WNEP-TV, which serves northeastern and central Pennsylvania.
But while vote totals for Harris and Trump were shown on a ticker during the telecast of the race, WNEP said in a statement the tallies were not genuine and were "mistakenly" aired as the station prepared for Election Day.
"The numbers seen on the screen were randomly generated test results sent out to help news organizations make sure their equipment is working properly in advance of election night," the statement from WNEP reads. "The numbers were not reflective of any actual vote count."
Matt Heckel, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State, also said it's "not possible" for the TV station to have aired authentic election results from the state since mail-in ballots have not yet been tabulated.
Fact check: No, there aren't 180,000 new Amish voters in Pennsylvania
"Current state law does not permit counties to begin opening mail ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day," Heckel said in an email. "That means county election officials cannot even remove the ballots from the envelopes and prepare them to be scanned until that time."
Counties are also not allowed to record and publish results before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Heckel said, citing Pennsylvania's Election Code.
That's also in line with guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State for pre-canvassing and canvassing absentee and mail-in ballots.
USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
Matt Heckel, Oct. 31, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Pennsylvania General Assembly, accessed Oct. 31, Pennsylvania Election Code
Pennsylvania Department of State, Sept. 10, 2024, Guidance Concerning Civilian Absentee and Mail-in Ballot Procedures
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania election results on F1 telecast not real | Fact check