2024 U.S. ELECTIONS RAPID RESEARCH BLOG
RAPID RESEARCH NOTE
This Rapid Research Note is part of an ongoing series of rapid research blog posts and rapid research analysis about the 2024 U.S. elections from the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public. It is crossposted on the CIP’s election rumor research Substack newsletter.
If you would like more information on a particular rumor, or wish to speak to the CIP research team about our ongoing rapid research findings, you can contact us using this Google Form.
As mail-in ballots are being sent and returned across many states, there is an expected rise in rumors regarding ballot handling and fraud. A recent case from October 13 originating from the subreddit r/LosAngeles falls into this category.
The Reddit post claims an individual received an envelope, similar in size to a mail-in ballot, addressed to the conservative group The Presidential Coalition. The print on the envelope appears official and has words like “Secure Pouch.”
The post suggests that this envelope is misleading voters to submit ballots to the organization instead of their state, potentially ‘stealing’ ballots. This claim has since spread to other platforms, including BlueSky, Facebook, and X. However, it has not gained significant traction beyond the original post, with the most reshares on one platform being on X with ~3K. (The screenshot below is from BlueSky, showing the image of the deceptive envelope).
At this point, no further reports of similar envelopes have been made, and most reposts (including across platforms) are referencing or sharing the same images from the original Reddit post. While we continue to monitor this rumor, its implications are important to consider — whether or not the claim is substantiated.
If legitimate, it could result in voters sending their ballots to incorrect destinations, potentially invalidating their votes. If false, it could fuel narratives of election interference, undermining trust in mail-in voting.
As the election period progresses, it’s essential to approach such claims with caution and ensure that if you are returning a mail-in-ballot that you use the envelope that arrived with your ballot, rather than some other, unofficial envelope.