FACT CHECK: Were 200,000 Maricopa County Ballots ‘Ejected’ Due To Malware Or Remote Access?
A photo shared on Instagram claims 200,000 ballots cast in Maricopa County, Arizona, were “ejected” due to malware or remote access.
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Verdict: False
The claim is baseless. Maricopa County faced printer issues during the election and no cyber attacks were involved.
Fact Check:
U.S. voting equipment manufacturers are utilizing cybersecurity experts to test their systems to make sure there are no issues ahead of the 2024 election, according to CNN. The Department of Homeland Security is anticipating “likely” cyber attacks targeting the 2024 election, according to Federal News Network.
An Instagram post claims 200,000 ballots cast in Maricopa County, Arizona, were “ejected” due to cyber attacks. The post shares a screenshot of a tweet with the claim.
“BREAKING: Evidence shows the Maricopa County Election Day printer ‘failures’ were caused by malware or by remote access,” the post reads. “200,000 ballots were ejected out of 248,000 votes cast.”
There is no basis for this claim, however. The post originated from an X account called Leading Report, which has previously posted inaccurate and unsupported claims, according to HealthFeedback.org.
Printer issues occurred during Maricopa County due to the use of thicker paper, and no malicious actions were involved, according to AP News. An investigation from Maricopa County found that “some older printers could not maintain the heat required to consistently print ballots dark enough to be read by the on-site tabulators.”
There are no credible news reports about 200,000 ballots in Maricopa County being rejected due to cyber attacks. (RELATED: Is Arizona’s Voting Equipment Not Certified?)
Check Your Fact has reached out to the Maricopa County’s elections department and attorney office for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received from either source.
