Trump's name on second page of ballot is random, not 'election fraud' | Fact check

The claim: Trump's name on second page of California ballot is evidence of 'election fraud'

An Oct. 31 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a screen with presidential and vice presidential candidates' names listed on it. The list includes Vice President Kamala Harris along with independent and Libertarian Party candidates. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is not on the list.

"Photo of voting machine inside booth in California," reads the post's caption. "Trump is not an option on the first screen. Trump is shown on the next screen after clicking Next. And there’s no election fraud? Yeah right."

Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, including a version shared by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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Our rating: False

The listing of Trump on the last page of the ballot is not evidence of voter fraud. The candidates' order on the California ballot is determined by a randomized letter drawing corresponding to the first letter of the candidates' last names. The order rotates by assembly district so Trump was listed last in some districts.

California ballot sorted by randomized letter drawing

Like many other online claims about interference in the days leading up to the Nov. 5 election, the post's claim about supposed "election fraud" in California is false.

The order of the candidates' names on the state's ballot is determined by a randomized letter drawing, according to the California Secretary of State Office's website. The letters first correspond to the candidates' last names, then, if the second letter of the candidates' last names are the same, their first and middle names.

These names then rotate by assembly district, with the first name dropping to the bottom in District 2 and the other names moving up, according to the website. The rotation continues with each district.

"This gives each candidate more than one opportunity to appear at the 'top of the ticket' in his/her race," the website says.

This process is outlined in the California Election Code.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber held the randomized drawing on Aug. 15, resulting in the following order of letters: I, F, L, T, D, E, H, Q, M, J, G, A, Y, R, P, C, B, V, X, K, U, N, O, W, S, Z

Though Trump's name would be listed before Vice President Kamala Harris' and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s in this original order, the list rotates by district. This means that Trump's name could be listed above or below any of the other presidential candidates, depending on the voter's district.

Fact check: Trump name misspelled on voting machine review screen not 'election fraud'

The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office, which is in charge of conducting the county's elections, debunked the claim on X.

"LA County's Ballot Marking Device ... displays four ... selections on each screen," the post reads. "If any contest has more than four ... selections, a notification instructs voters to click 'MORE' to view all options."

The office explained the randomized letter drawing process in a follow-up post, saying, "No issues with the (ballot marking device) or ballot order exist."

USA TODAY has debunked previous false and misleading claims that a typo in Trump's name on a Virginia voting machine and a glitch on a Kentucky voting machine are proof of election interference.

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

Snopes also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

• California Secretary of State, Aug. 15, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Announces Results of Randomized Alphabet Drawing for the November 5, 2024, General Election

• California Secretary of State, accessed Nov. 4, Randomized Alphabet

• California Legislative Information, accessed Nov. 4, Elections Code – Division 13. Ballots, Sample Ballots and Voter Pamphlets

• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Oct. 31, X post

California Election Results 2024: Live updates, map for every state race

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Location of Trump's name on California ballot not fraud | Fact check