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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Elections & voting fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about elections & voting. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

5,415 published reviews in this topic

BBC Reality CheckElections & voting

"Radical Left owned Dominion Voting Systems."

Publisher’s rating: This is not correct - the company is not owned by the "Radical Left". It has made donations to both Republicans and Democrats in the past.

The BBC’s review examined a specific ownership allegation made by Donald Trump about Dominion Voting Systems during the 2020 election dispute. It distinguished the claim of direct ownership from evidence that Dominion had made donations, and reported that the company was not owned by the “Radical Left.” The article also noted that it was unclear whom Trump meant by that phrase, while describing online claims linking Dominion to the Clinton family and other Democratic politicians, including Nancy Pelosi. The review’s key distinction is between ownership and donations. It reported that Dominion had donated to both Republican and Democratic interests, including the Clinton Foundation and a committee associated with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Those donations do not, on their own, establish ownership by either political side. The article also reported Dominion’s statement that it was a non-partisan US company and had no ownership relationship with members of the Pelosi family or the Clinton Global Initiative. The review addressed several related claims that could be mistaken for evidence of ownership. It said the Clinton Foundation denied having a stake in Dominion or involvement in its operations. It also explained that Pelosi’s former chief of staff, Nadeam Elshami, had been hired by Dominion, while noting that the company had also hired people previously associated with Republicans. Separately, Peter Neffenger was chairman of Smartmatic, which the article identified as a competitor—not a subsidiary—of Dominion. The review therefore distinguishes political connections, donations, and employment from a company ownership relationship.

MediaWiseElections & voting

Sharpies led to invalid votes in Arizona

Publisher’s rating: Not Legit

The review examines the specific allegation that Arizona voters who used Sharpies would have their votes rejected because ballot-counting machines could not read the marks. It attributes the allegation to conservative commentator Ryan Fournier and other social media users, and reports that Arizona election officials said Sharpies were suitable for voting and that machines could most easily read their marks. That evidence addresses the alleged mechanism behind the claim: whether Sharpie marks could be read by the ballot-counting machines. The review’s stated finding is that Sharpies work on ballots, contrary to the claim that their use would make votes uncountable. The excerpt does not provide machine tests, ballot counts, or further detail about the officials’ statements, so those specifics cannot be assessed from this text alone.

MediaWiseElections & voting

Melania Trump voted twice

Publisher’s rating: Not Legit

The claim arose from reports that Melania Trump had voted by mail in August and then voted in person on Election Day. The review says the two votes were cast in different elections, rather than twice in the same election: her August mail ballot was for Florida’s primary, while her Election Day ballot was for the general election. That distinction addresses the basis for the allegation. The review concludes that she did not illegally vote twice. Its account supports the conclusion that the reported ballots were for separate elections, not duplicate votes in one election.