4 Judicial Races Explain Viral Claim of Missing Candidates on NYC Ballots

Online misinformation about voting is accelerating as Election Day approaches.

False claims about rigging and fraud are circulating on social media, but election officials say the issues have simple explanations.

A viral video from Ventura County, California, shows a hole in a ballot return envelope. The post claims the hole allows observers to see the choice for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra. The video warns voters to be careful how they place their ballots in the envelope.

Simone Seydoux, spokesperson for the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, stated the envelopes follow a design standard recommended by the California secretary of state. The two holes serve as an accessibility feature for voters with vision impairments. They guide voters to the signature area. One hole allows election workers to verify the envelope is empty after the ballot is removed. Workers also use zip ties through this hole to secure storage stacks. Seydoux wrote that the holes are not positioned to show a specific contest and that voters may fold the ballot in any order.

The California secretary of state’s office confirmed earlier this month that the holes are an accessibility feature. The office noted that voters who are concerned can insert ballots in various ways to hide their choices.

In New York City, a TikTok user claimed a polling site gave her two ballots where one was missing conservative candidates. The video was shot at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. A sample ballot for that location consists of two double-sided pages. The second page lists judicial races. There are four such races on the ballot. Democratic candidates are running in all four. Working Families Party candidates are running in one. No Republican or Conservative Party candidates are listed because no individuals were nominated by those parties for those offices.

Kathleen McGrath, a spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections, explained that a party line appears only if a party nominates a candidate. Voters may write in another person if they prefer. McGrath added that New York City has used multi-page ballots for many years. The video also noted the voter did not show ID. In New York, voters provide a DMV number or the last four digits of their social security number when registering. McGrath said voters only verify their identity at the polls via signature if additional identification has already been verified. Two bipartisan poll workers review the signature.

Claims of touchscreen voting machines flipping votes from Democrats to Republicans are also spreading. Election officials say these challenges are almost always user error or a screen miscalibration. David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said the claims are understandable human error. He compared the issue to mistyping on a phone. Becker noted that disinformation purveyors often seize on well-meaning concerns to sow doubt.

The counties with the most recent reports use ExpressVote ballot marking devices from Election Systems & Software. These machines let voters make selections on a touchscreen and print a paper record for review. Katina Granger, senior manager of public relations for ES&S, said the company has not been aware of any widespread issue this cycle. She advised voters to ask a poll worker for assistance if they have difficulty. If a printed ballot does not reflect intended selections, voters should notify a poll worker rather than cast it.

Another claim states that ballots marked by poll workers will be disqualified. Officials say marking is normal procedure in many jurisdictions. In North Carolina, election workers write "P" for provisional or "A" for absentee in the upper left corner of a ballot. This helps identify ballots if they are put into a tabulator instead of sealed in an envelope. In Illinois, ballots are initialed before issuance. Pamela Smith, president and CEO of Verified Voting, advised voters to get facts from local election officials rather than social media. She suggested asking a poll worker why they marked a ballot if a voter has concerns.