FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show Real Election Results Of Kanye Receiving Over 40,000 Votes In Kentucky?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook claims Kentucky presidential election results show rapper Kanye West with over 40,000 votes, placing him ahead of President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Verdict: False

LEX 18 News, the TV station from which the numbers come, said the data is not valid and shows mock data from routine testing ahead of the election.

Fact Check:

The image juxtaposes what appears to be a screen grab of “President Kentucky results” from a website with a photo of West. The pictured tally has West in third place with 40,000 votes, behind candidates Jo Jorgensen and Brock Pierce.

However, the results shown in the image are not authentic. The station that released the numbers, NBC affiliate LEX 18 News, posted two tweets explaining that they are mock election results used by The Associated Press from routine testing ahead of the election. (RELATED: ‘Book Of Yeezus’– Did Kanye West Publish A Bible That Replaces ‘God’ With His Name?)

“The results shown were not valid,” reads the tweet. “They were simply part of a test. We regret the discovery of the cached web link and have removed the data from that page. We apologize for any confusion.” Nancy Cox, an anchor for LEX 18 News, also tweeted that the results were from a test and apologized to viewers and West for the mistake.

West posted a video showing the mock results on Twitter, along with the text: “GET THE WEST WING READY !!! … this is how I felt when I saw that Kentucky pole (sic) result.” Twitter later added a “manipulated media” label to his tweet.

Early voting in Kentucky began Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 2, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections website. Polling locations for early voting can be found on the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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