South Carolina allows disabled, senior voters to cast ballots curbside | Fact check

The claim: Post implies voting from car in South Carolina is proof of voter fraud

A Nov. 4 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a video of a man in his vehicle talking to the camera about a supposed scene at a South Carolina voting location.

“I just went by one of the places that you vote ... and you don’t go in to vote,” the man says in the clip, which was originally posted on TikTok. “You pull up in your car. They bring the machine out to your car. They push the buttons for you.”

He goes on to say that the individuals he saw were “all Democrats” and that there were “no Republicans there.”

Users appeared to interpret the man’s description as proof of voter fraud.

“That’s called election interference,” reads part of one comment on the post. “Your ballot is supposed to be private. I’d report that as soon as I could.”

The Instagram post was liked more than 250 times in a day. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: Missing context

The implied claim is wrong. South Carolina allows curbside voting for disabled or senior voters, which includes voting assistance for eligible individuals, but the state's election commission told USA TODAY that poll workers may only assist if requested by the voter.

More than two dozen states allow curbside voting

The assertion that the described scene would be improper is “not accurate,” John Catalano, a spokesperson for the South Carolina State Election Commission, told USA TODAY.

The state allows people with disabilities and those over age 65 to vote from their vehicle, as outlined on the commission’s website.

Some voters, such as those who are blind or cannot read or write, can also be assisted in casting their ballot, Catalano said. Eligible voters can choose virtually anyone to assist them in casting their ballot, but exceptions include their employer or a representative from their union.

This could also include a poll worker if requested by the voter, Catalano said. In cases where the voter is physically unable to mark their ballot, they could direct their assistant or poll worker to do so on their behalf.

More than two dozen states allow curbside voting to accommodate individuals with disabilities, according to the Council of State Governments.

Aside from the false implication that curbside voting is proof of voter fraud, the man in the video provides no proof of his claim that it was "all Democrats" involved. It's unclear how he could make such an assessment since he says in the video he was just "riding by" the voting center.

Fact check: Video of man planning to vote twice for Harris is Russian disinformation

USA TODAY previously debunked false claims about a misspelling of former President Donald Trump’s name on a Virginia ballot, about Trump’s name being on the second page of a California ballot and about delayed election results in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania being proof of voter fraud.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

• The Council of State Governments, accessed Nov. 5, Curbside Voting

• John Catalano Nov. 5, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• South Carolina Election Commission, accessed Nov. 5, Voters with Disabilities

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Curbside voting OK in South Carolina, other states | Fact check