TOP 4 TYPES OF OHIO ELECTION DISINFORMATION

Warren County elections director and president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials Brian Sleeth, a Democrat whose response was guided by the association’s legal counsel and executive director, noted the group itself got a $25,000 grant in 2020 from the Chicago group that administered the Zuckerberg money.

Most of that aid was used to fund Ohioballotfacts.org, which helped to shoot down election disinformation. The major examples:

THE INELIGIBLE VOTER

Myth: Probably the most popular and persistent of myths, this one claims thousands of ballots are illegally cast by individuals who are either not U.S. citizens or not residents of Ohio.

Fact: Registration applications are compared against both the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration database to confirm residency and citizenship.

THE BALLOT DUMP

Myth: Almost as popular as the ineligible voter, the ballot dump has taken on a sort of urban legend status. It claims that someone knows someone who knows someone who saw a bunch of ballots in a trash bin. Fact: Though not in Ohio, there have been in fact been a handful of reports of ballots being found in the trash. Typically, the FBI investigates these matters and provides few details about ongoing investigations. However, anyone who votes absentee can track the progress of that ballot at www.voteohio.gov/track.

THE SNOWBIRD

Myth: This myth involves thousands of Ohioans who migrate south for the winter. The myth goes that they cast a ballot in Ohio and then cast another in the state where they will spend the winter.

Fact: Currently there are two data-sharing collectives that help county boards double-check voting records across state boundaries. The Election Registration Information Center and the State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events. Currently not all U.S. states and territories take part, although Ohio does participate along with Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, the most common snowbird destinations.

THE RUSSIAN HACKER

Myth: This one has the Russian government itself or a rogue operator in one of their former states hacks into a series of voting machines and selects its preferred candidate.

Fact: Ohio elections law forbids all voting and tabulating machines from being connected to the internet.