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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

DUBAWAElections & voting

A claim that the United States congratulated Atiku ahead of the 2019 polls.

Publisher’s rating: Totally False

The claim concerned a Facebook post by Rethink Nigeria saying that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had called and congratulated PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar ahead of Nigeria’s 2019 election. DUBAWA’s review says it obtained an audio clip of the call and examined a transcript excerpt. The call took place on February 15, 2019, the eve of the election’s then-scheduled date; the review distinguishes the fact that Pompeo called Atiku from the post’s characterization of why he called. In the excerpt, Pompeo says the United States wanted a “free, fair, transparent, peaceful election process,” urges Atiku to ensure the PDP refrained from vote buying and intimidation, and says the United States was watching closely and supporting that kind of election. Atiku, in turn, asks the United States to watch the election carefully and says his side would follow the rules. DUBAWA therefore describes the call as focused on credible elections, not as an expression of U.S. support for Atiku or a congratulation on an anticipated victory. The review also reports that Atiku confirmed receiving the call on Twitter, describing it as a reaffirmation of the international community’s commitment to free and fair elections. That confirmation supports the occurrence and stated subject of the call, but does not substantiate the Facebook post’s claim that Pompeo congratulated him. The review separately notes that claims about Atiku meeting Donald Trump were uncertain and says reports pointed to meetings with Trump associates, not Trump himself. Those details do not establish U.S. endorsement of Atiku.

THE QUINTElections & voting

Former President Pranab Mukherjee said that the Congress has the image of an anti-national party and will be decimated in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Publisher’s rating: FALSE

The claim concerns a Facebook post by the page Royal Hindu Youth, which attributed to former President Pranab Mukherjee the statement that Congress had an “anti-national” image and would be decimated in the 2019 election. The Quint’s review says the post’s wording was a rough translation and identifies its central allegation as a quote attributed to Mukherjee. To check the attribution, The Quint says it contacted Mukherjee’s office, which rejected the post’s claims. The office called the post “undoubtedly made up” and said Mukherjee had not said anything along those lines. It also explained that The Coalition Years, a book cited in connection with some circulating posts, contains accounts only up to 2012; the office added that Mukherjee’s other statements were available in the public domain. The review therefore finds no support for the claimed quotation and reports a direct denial from Mukherjee’s office. The excerpt does not identify the Facebook post’s author or provide a link to an original recording or other primary document; its evidence for the attribution finding is the office’s response and its clarification about the book’s coverage.