Polygraph

Why We Vote Ep. 188: David Becker's Town Hall & Alito's Mail-In Ballot Dissent

Badlands Media, Checked

Polygraph score
87Holds up63 claims checked
Details
What it claims
7 false9 mixed18 can’t tell61 true
How it argues
Nothing found
How it persuades
Nothing found
What it’s built on
Nothing found
Sources
3 rated low
Badlands MediaSep 16, 2026
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Badlands MediaWhy We Vote Ep. 188: David Becker's Town Hall & Alito's Mail-In Ballot DissentWhole episode, 1:35:18
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95 claims

What it claims

Claims

  1. 1TrueThe Department of Justice has a record of zero wins in 23 voter-data cases.Multiple sources report that the DOJ has lost all 23 of its decided voter-roll cases and won none, which matches the claim's 'zero wins in 23' framing. The claim is faithful to the passage, and the sources were published after the post date.6 sources →
  2. 2TrueGovernment analysis shows non-citizen voting almost never happens.Several government-level reviews (Michigan's Secretary of State finding 16 credible cases among 5.7 million votes, and Louisiana's office finding 79 past voters among possible noncitizen registrations over 40 years) show noncitizen voting is extremely rare, and no source contradicts this. The claim is somewhat loose: a Census Bureau report flagged 24,000 possible noncitizens among 128 million records, but those are registrations, not votes, and the sources do not show that the 'government's own analysis' as a whole said anything about voting beyond rarity. The claim departs only slightly from the passage's paraphrase, which is graded normally.6 sources →
  3. 3TrueThe 8th and I Marine Barracks is a battalion located in Washington, D.C. that performs honor guard duties.Sources confirm that Marine Barracks Washington, known as "8th & I," is in Southeast Washington, D.C., and performs ceremonial and honor-guard functions such as Presidential honors, funerals, and its Color Guard. No source calls it a "battalion" (they call it a post or installation), so that label is unconfirmed, but it is not contradicted and the extraction faithfully reflects the post.4 sources →

    ▶ 0:59

  4. 4TruePeople who joined the military in the wake of the September 11 attacks have now retired from the military.The claim is a generic statement that people who joined the military after September 11 have since retired, and sources directly show this happening. The VA source describes Jerome Horrace, who joined in 2002 and retired after 18.5 years, and Snopes reports that Tim Walz re-enlisted after 9/11 and later retired from the Guard after 24 years. The extraction faithfully matches the post's wording.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:15

  5. 5FalseThere is no plane visible in the footage of the wreckage at the Pentagon from the September 11 attacks.The claim that no plane is visible in the Pentagon wreckage footage is an allegation that authoritative fact-checkers (AP, Snopes, LeadStories, USA Today) have examined and rejected; the security footage shows the plane crashing into the building. The only kernel of truth is that the FBI's recovery-operations video does not capture the plane's impact, which does not make the claim that the plane vanished true.6 sources →

    ▶ 2:24

  6. 6TrueDavid Becker is the co-founder of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).Multiple sources describe David Becker as a founder or co-founder of ERIC, and PolitiFact and NPR call him its founder or architect. The claim matches the passage's wording and the sources support it.8 sources →

    ▶ 7:36

  7. 7MixedThe highest turnout in a modern American midterm election was 50% in 2018.The 2018 midterm is the highest midterm turnout since 1914, but the reported rate depends on the measure: the U.S. Elections Project gives about 50.1–50.3% of eligible voters (so the claimed 50% fits), while the Census Bureau and EAC report 53–53.4% of the citizen voting-age population and BBC reports 49.2% of the voting-age public. The claim's 50% falls within that range, so its exact figure depends on which measure is used. The post's 'modern' framing and the 2018-as-highest point are consistent with the sources.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.10 sources →

    ▶ 10:08

  8. 8Can’t tellTurnout among registered voters in 2020 was 94.1%.The only source giving a registered-voter turnout figure near 94% is an unrated 2022 outlet citing Pew, which prints the number as a garbled "94.%"; the primary Pew validated-turnout page (source 4) is shown without the figure. Other sources use different measures (Census: 66.8% of citizens 18+; Colorado county tables), which neither confirm nor refute a registered-voter figure. The claim matches the passage's wording, so no extraction departure applies.4 sources →

    ▶ 10:26

  9. 9FalseThe current administration fired everyone at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in February and March of 2025.The claim that the administration fired everyone at CISA in February and March 2025 is contradicted by the sources. They show roughly 130 probationary staff fired in February, about 1,000 departures overall through buyouts, resignations and terminations, and CISA staffing still around 2,500 in 2026. The mass firings were real, but 'everyone' is an order-of-magnitude overstatement; the claim's referent (the second Trump administration) is resolved from the post.7 sources →

    ▶ 12:17

  10. 10TrueThe Department of Justice sued 30 states plus the District of Columbia to obtain sensitive voter list information.Multiple sources from April to August 2026 state the DOJ sued 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to hand over voter registration lists that include sensitive data such as driver's license and partial Social Security numbers, which matches the claim as of 2026-09-16. The post briefly said '31 states' before correcting itself to '30 states plus dc', and the extracted claim follows the corrected figure.6 sources →

    ▶ 13:57

  11. 11TrueIn January 2026, the FBI executed a warrant on the Fulton County Election Office to seize information from the 2020 election.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, CNN, NPR, Politico) confirm the FBI executed a search warrant at the Fulton County elections office on January 28, 2026, seeking and seizing records tied to the 2020 election. The claim's January date, actor, target, and purpose all match the sources; the 'five and a half years ago' phrasing is consistent with the post date and is not a material element.5 sources →

    ▶ 14:07

  12. 12MixedThe Justice Department sent a letter to Michigan demanding the state turn over all evidence relating to the 2024 election in Wayne County.The DOJ did send a letter demanding all 2024 Wayne County ballots, ballot receipts, and envelopes, but it was addressed to the Wayne County Clerk, not to the state of Michigan. The claim's wording that the demand went to the state, which was asked to turn over its evidence, is therefore inaccurate on the addressee, though the underlying demand is confirmed.8 sources →

    ▶ 14:34

  13. 13TrueThe FBI sent agents to knock on the doors of people who worked the polls in 2020 in Milwaukee under the direction of Cash Patel.Multiple sources report that FBI agents, under FBI Director Kash Patel, made unannounced home visits in the Milwaukee area in 2026 as part of a probe into the 2020 election, including visits to a 2020 Milwaukee poll worker (David Bolter) and to election officials. The claim's core assertion is supported; the sources describe the visits as aimed at election officials as well as poll workers, which is a minor scope difference.9 sources →

    ▶ 14:42

  14. 14TrueThe Supreme Court eviscerated the last remaining sections of the Voting Rights Act in the Calais decision earlier this year.The Supreme Court's April 29, 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Callais significantly narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the last major provision of the law after Section 5 was gutted in 2013, and several sources describe it as gutting or hollowing out what remained. "Eviscerated" is a characterization, and the extraction dropped the post's hedge "basically," but the core assertion is supported.8 sources →

    ▶ 15:09

  15. 15TrueThe Trump administration fired the remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission.Multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP, The Hill, NBC) report that the White House confirmed Trump ousted the remaining Election Assistance Commission members in July 2026: two Democrats were fired and the lone remaining Republican was forced to resign, leaving the commission with zero sitting commissioners. The claim is supported; the fired-versus-resigned distinction for the Republican member is a peripheral detail that the sources describe as forced out, not a contradiction.7 sources →

    ▶ 15:47

  16. 16TrueThe Election Assistance Commission currently has zero commissioners.Reuters (July 2026) reports the White House removed the last Democratic commissioners and a Republican resigned, leaving the four-member EAC with no sitting commissioners. A Congressional Research Service report published 2026-09-01 independently says the commission was left without members, so the claim held on the 2026-09-16 posting date. The post's wording matches the claim, so no extraction departure applies. The sources do not show any change before the check date.6 sources →

    ▶ 16:14

  17. 17TrueThe FBI surged personnel from every field office in the country to conduct an investigation in Georgia this summer.Multiple sources report that in early July 2026 the FBI ordered all of its field offices to surge hundreds of analysts to a priority investigation into Georgia's 2020 election, which fits the claim's core assertion. The sources say 'across the country' and 'all field offices' rather than literally every office, and the claim's 'some kind of investigation' wording was faithfully extracted from the post.5 sources →

    ▶ 16:17

  18. 18TrueThe Justice Department sent letters to election officials in every state threatening them over non-citizen voting.NBC News and the Philadelphia Inquirer (citing the New York Times) report that the Justice Department sent letters to election officials in all 50 states and DC in July 2026, warning of criminal prosecution over noncitizen voting. The claim matches the post's 'every single state' wording, and no source contradicts it.6 sources →

    ▶ 16:29

  19. 19TrueNorth Dakota does not have voter registration.The claim that North Dakota does not have voter registration is directly confirmed by multiple primary and tier-1 sources, including the state's Secretary of State (2026), the EAC (2026), and Vote.gov (2024). The claim faithfully matches the passage, which says North Dakota doesn't have voter registration, and the sources are consistent across 2018 to 2026.5 sources →

    ▶ 16:35

  20. 20TrueThe Department of Homeland Security threatened states with fines and charges over election measures.Reuters reporting from July 17, 2026 says DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened state officials with fines and criminal charges if they did not comply with election security measures, and the claim matches the post's wording faithfully. Other outlets repeat the same Reuters account, and Politico (tier 2) separately describes DHS threats toward states that refused to hand over voter rolls, so the core assertion is well supported, though the Reuters-derived copies are not independent of one another.5 sources →

    ▶ 16:41

  21. 21TrueThe President gave a prime time speech on July 16th regarding election fraud evidence.Multiple tier1 sources confirm President Trump gave a prime-time address on July 16, 2026, focused on election security and fraud claims, and that the White House framed it as presenting evidence. The sources also report the speech offered no evidence of vote tampering, so the claim is accurate on the speech's date and subject but would mislead if read as saying evidence was actually presented.4 sources →

    ▶ 16:51

  22. 22TrueThe Justice Department is recruiting approximately 1,000 monitors to observe polls this year.Multiple independent reliable sources (AP, PBS, LA Times, Reuters, Atlantic, Votebeat) report the Justice Department is deploying about 1,000 monitors to observe the November 2026 midterm polls, per DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels and a senior DOJ official. The claim's 'this year' and 'approximately 1,000' match the record; the claim is accurately extracted from the passage, which called it 'a thousand monitors to observe things at the polls this year', and the record was reported as of the 2026-09-16 posting date only in part, since most coverage post-dates it, but the plan is confirmed in later sources rather than contradicted.8 sources →

    ▶ 17:49

  23. 23Can’t tellThe federal government provided aid and comfort to the state of Colorado in its efforts to remove Donald Trump from the ballot.The claim that the federal government gave 'aid and comfort' to Colorado in its effort to remove Trump from the ballot is a characterization the sources do not directly address: they cover the 2023 Colorado ballot case and later federal DOJ actions against Colorado, but none states the federal government aided Colorado's removal effort, and the passage's own assertion is the speaker's opinion, not evidence. The claim also reads a Biden-era/DOJ-era federal role into the removal case, which the sources do not show.8 sources →

    ▶ 20:16

  24. 24Can’t tellThe Department of Justice changed its position on the Tina Peters litigation in Colorado after January 20, 2025.The claim departs from the passage: the speaker says the DOJ's position changed before January 20, 2025, while the extracted claim says after January 20, 2025, so it is not graded as the poster's statement. On the sources alone, the DOJ's public shift to backing Peters appears in filings from early 2025, after January 20.5 sources →

    ▶ 21:41

  25. 25TrueIn March 2026, the President signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to create a national voter list using federal data sources.The March 31, 2026 executive order did direct the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, to compile a nationwide list of eligible voters for each state, so the core claim holds. The extracted claim omits the post's assertion that this was the first time in American history, which the sources neither confirm nor refute, and it is not graded here.4 sources →

    ▶ 22:41

  26. 26TrueEvery state in the United States sends mail ballots.Multiple sources state that every U.S. state offers some form of mail or absentee voting, and ballots are mailed to voters in all states, either automatically in eight states and D.C. or on request elsewhere. The claim's literal wording is broader than 'automatic mailing', but under the standard reading that states send mail ballots to voters, the sources support it as of 2026-09-16.7 sources →

    ▶ 23:32

  27. 27MixedDavid Becker's NGO received $70 million.The claim's referent is clear: Becker founded and directs CEIR, and the post says 'his' NGO received $70 million. Sources conflict on the amount: a Mullin letter reported by several outlets says CEIR received 'over $70 million' from the Chan Zuckerberg foundation, while CEIR's own account and a PolitiFact piece cite nearly or about $65 million. The claimed figure sits at the edge of that range, and the claim does not address the 'still is' timing beyond the 2020 funding.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.5 sources →

    ▶ 24:53

  28. 28MixedThe 2018 midterm election had the highest turnout of any election ever at 50%.Read as the post's midterm-only claim, the record supports it: 2018 had about 50% turnout, the highest midterm rate since 1914. Read literally as 'highest turnout of any election ever,' it is contradicted, since PolitiFact reports 2020 overall turnout at 66.7%. The post's own speakers are unsure which scope was meant, and the reported 2018 figures vary by measure (about 49 to 53%).8 sources →

    ▶ 26:39

  29. 29Can’t tellThe Postal Service received more comments on its proposed rules than on any rule in its history.None of the sources report how many comments the USPS received on its mail-ballot proposed rule or compare that count with any other rule in the agency's history, so the superlative is neither confirmed nor refuted. The claimant's own passage cannot corroborate it, and the sources that cover the rule (Snopes, AP, Reuters) do not contradict it.6 sources →

    ▶ 27:30

  30. 30MixedTwelve attorneys general from Republican states filed litigation arguing the President of the United States can dictate election policy to the states.The record supports the count: 12 states intervened in the Supreme Court litigation backing Trump's election executive order, and CNN describes Republican AGs pressing courts to back his mail-voting rules. But the record contradicts the claim's characterization of their argument: the 12 states argued only that the plaintiff states lack standing and that the claims are not ripe, not that the President can dictate election policy to the states. The filing also calls the order an intra-branch directive that changes nothing about elections in any state. The claim also says they 'filed' litigation, when they intervened in cases brought by others.5 sources →

    ▶ 27:59

  31. 31TrueThe Supreme Court ruled that Judge Talwani's injunction was premature because the Postal Service rules had not been finalized and the case was not ripe.The August 24, 2026 Supreme Court stay order on Talwani's injunction is reported as holding the challenge premature (unripe) because the Postal Service rule had not yet been finalized, which matches the claim. The claim's referent is the post's 'couple of weeks ago' ruling, and the September 14 Reuters order is a different, later ruling that the claim does not address.6 sources →

    ▶ 29:03

  32. 32FalseThe Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision regarding an executive order, with Justices Jackson, Kagan, Sotomayor, and Chief Justice Roberts dissenting.The claim departs from the passage only in its 5-4 framing: the speaker's count matches, but the record shows the August 24, 2026 Supreme Court order on Trump's mail-in voting executive order was 6-3, with only the three liberal justices (Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson) dissenting. Chief Justice Roberts was in the majority, so the claim that Roberts dissented is contradicted.7 sources →

    ▶ 30:00

  33. 33MixedJudge Tawani rescinded her injunctions on a Tuesday following a Supreme Court order issued on a Monday in the second to last week of August.The Supreme Court order was issued on Monday, August 24, 2026, and Judge Talwani rescinded her injunction afterward, which supports the core sequence. However, multiple sources (AP, Jurist, WBUR, Axios) report that she vacated or canceled the injunction on Wednesday, August 26, not Tuesday, so the claimed day is contradicted.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.8 sources →

    ▶ 30:23

  34. 34TrueJudge Tawani issued a temporary restraining order for two weeks on the Thursday following the Supreme Court order.The sources confirm that Judge Indira Talwani (the claim misspells the name as 'Tawani') issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on Thursday, August 27, 2026, the Thursday after the Supreme Court's Monday, August 24 order that lifted the earlier injunctions. The claim departs from the passage in no material way, and the post's 'next day' after Wednesday's filings matches the Thursday date.5 sources →

    ▶ 30:46

  35. 35Can’t tellJudge Tawani issued a formal preliminary injunction eight days after the temporary restraining order.The sources confirm a 14-day temporary restraining order granted on August 27, 2026 in the new USPS rule cases, but none reports a formal preliminary injunction issued eight days later (about September 4). The only preliminary injunction in the record was Judge Talwani's August 11 order, which came before the TRO, so the claimed sequence is not supported.8 sources →

    ▶ 30:51

  36. 36TrueBy the end of the week of September 16, 2026, 20 states will have begun sending mail ballots out.As of September 16, 2026, sources support the claim that about 20 states would have begun mailing ballots by the end of that week. NCSL, as reported by USA Today/Reuters on September 12, said 20 states send ballots within the next week or already have, and the September 9 Supreme Court filing says other states' initial mailing dates fall between September 4 and October 16, with the federal military/overseas deadline of September 19. No source gives an exact count for the end of that week, and the extraction's reading of "next week" as the week of September 16 is an inference from the post's date.5 sources →

    ▶ 31:06

  37. 37TrueThe executive order in question was issued five months prior to September 16, 2026.The executive order at issue was signed March 31, 2026, per AP, BBC, Reuters, and the Federal Register citation in the sources. That is about five and a half months before September 16, 2026, so 'five months' is a fair rounding and the claim matches the post's own wording.5 sources →

    ▶ 31:20

  38. 38TrueJudge Tawani found the executive order unconstitutional because it violated Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution regarding state authority to regulate elections.Sources on the June 25, 2026 ruling by Judge Indira Talwani (the claim's 'Tawani') support that she found the executive order unconstitutional on Elections Clause grounds, citing Article I, Section 4 and states' authority over elections. Other reports frame her core holding as ultra vires and separation-of-powers grounds, so the Article I, Section 4 ground is one of several rather than the sole reason. The claim departs from the passage in no material way.6 sources →

    ▶ 32:25

  39. 39TrueA postal service employee claimed in a declaration filed to the First Circuit that the Postal Service is not ready to implement the rule regarding mail voting.Sources support the core of the claim: USPS told the court in a declaration that its portal was not yet operational and that it was not ready to implement the rule (citing the Monteith declaration, and a top official acknowledged the portal was unfinished). They do not directly confirm that the declarant was a postal employee or that the filing went to the First Circuit, since the cited declaration was filed in the District Court; the claim departs from the passage only in that it attributes the filing to the First Circuit, which the sources do not confirm.5 sources →

    ▶ 35:08

  40. 40TrueThe United States Postal Service has rejected mail ballot envelopes in at least one jurisdiction in Florida.The USPS rejected Leon County, Florida's mail ballot envelope design on September 2, 2026, over a spacing defect, which matches the claim's 'at least one jurisdiction in Florida.' The rejection was later reversed on appeal and the county was granted temporary certification, but that does not change whether the rejection occurred as of 2026-09-16.5 sources →

    ▶ 35:53

  41. 41Can’t tellThe Wisconsin Election Commission advised election officials to continue preparing for mail voting.None of the provided sources reports the Wisconsin Election Commission advising election officials to continue preparing for mail voting as of 2026-09-16. Reuters (2026-09-15) describes election officials preparing for disruptions from the federal mail-voting plan, and the Wisconsin Commission's later guidance (Oct 2026) concerns absentee deadlines and clerk instructions, which are nearby but different. The claim is not contradicted, so it cannot be graded either way.4 sources →

    ▶ 37:23

  42. 42Can’t tellThe Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) is under federal investigation.Sources show that DHS Secretary Mullin asked the Justice Department in early September 2026 to investigate CEIR under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act, and CEIR denied the allegations. No source confirms that DOJ actually opened an investigation of CEIR as of 2026-09-16, so the claim's central assertion is neither confirmed nor contradicted.4 sources →

    ▶ 39:24

  43. 43FalseDavid Becker has not given a public interview since July 19, 2026.The claim that Becker has not given a public interview since July 19, 2026 is contradicted by sources published after the post: he was interviewed by Rick Pildes for a podcast (posted Oct 26), and he appeared on CBS's Face the Nation (reported Nov 1). The sources do not show whether he gave interviews between July 19 and the September 16 posting date, so the claim was at least unverified when posted, but it does not hold as of the check date.9 sources →

    ▶ 39:46

  44. 44TrueDavid Becker and Christopher Krebs appeared together in an interview on July 19, 2026.A CBS News transcript and program listings confirm that David Becker and Chris Krebs appeared together on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on July 19, 2026, matching the claim. The post's reference to "the last interview in July" is consistent with that broadcast, so the extraction is faithful.4 sources →

    ▶ 40:21

  45. 45TrueThe Department of Justice has filed 31 cases against 30 states and the District of Columbia regarding voter data.The claim matches the extracted passage, which says 31 cases against 30 states and DC as of the September 2026 post. Multiple sources, including the AP and a University of Wisconsin tracker, report the same count of 31 lawsuits against 30 states plus Washington, D.C.5 sources →

    ▶ 40:52

  46. 46TrueThe Department of Justice has a record of 0 wins and 23 losses in the voter data cases filed against states.Multiple recent sources report the DOJ's district court record in its voter roll suits as 0 wins and 23 losses, and none show a court ruling for the DOJ. Earlier trackers cite 27 dismissals, a figure that conflicts with the 23 count, but the more recent reports consistently use 23.7 sources →

    ▶ 40:55

  47. 47TrueEight of the 23 judges who decided the DOJ voter data cases were appointed by Donald Trump.The claim's core figure of eight Trump-appointed judges matches ProPublica's October 2026 count (eight of 26 judges with final rulings) and Becker's August count (eight Trump appointees among twenty courts). The 23-case denominator matches the post's September 16 snapshot but no source states it directly, and ProPublica's later count of 26 reflects a different date, not a contradiction.5 sources →

    ▶ 41:26

  48. 48FalseFive of the last six states sued by the Department of Justice regarding voter data were led by Republicans.The claim that five of the last six states sued by DOJ over voter data were Republican-led is not supported. The February 26, 2026 batch, the most recent group of suits with reported party breakdowns, had three Republican-led states out of five (Utah, Oklahoma, West Virginia), and the later AP report describes the most recent suits as mostly Democratic-led (only New Hampshire Republican-led among the states it lists). Source dates for some AP/Altoona Mirror items are inconsistent, which lowers confidence.4 sources →

    ▶ 41:56

  49. 49FalseThe contract language for data exchanges between ERIC and states requires that non-citizen information be sent but prohibits the inclusion of citizenship status.The claim says the ERIC contract requires sending non-citizen records but bars citizenship information. The ERIC model contract text quoted in the DHS letter and the Heritage report says the opposite: 'Under no circumstances shall the Member transmit an individual's record where the record contains documentation or other information indicating that the individual is a non-citizen,' and the model contract prohibits sharing citizenship data. The post's own passage is the claimant's words and is not evidence. The 30,000 non-citizens on Colorado's EBU list in 2022 reflect an outcome in practice, not a contract requirement, so the claim is contradicted as stated.4 sources →

    ▶ 44:49

  50. 50TrueColorado sent 29,997 postcards to ineligible citizens due to a system integration with ERIC.Colorado's secretary of state's office mistakenly mailed about 30,000 noncitizens postcards encouraging voter registration, blaming a database glitch from matching an ERIC name list against driver's license records. The exact figure of 29,997 is not in the sources but is consistent with 'about 30,000'; the claim's phrase 'ineligible citizens' should read 'noncitizens', and the post's claim of intentional inflation of the rolls is not supported and was rejected by AFP as misleading.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:08

  51. 51TrueA federal warrant was issued in Fulton County, Georgia, in January regarding the 2020 election.Multiple tier-1 and tier-2 sources report that the FBI executed a search warrant at the Fulton County election office in Union City on January 28, 2026, seeking records related to the 2020 election, and NPR obtained a copy of the warrant. The exact issuance date is not separately reported, but execution in January supports the claim, and the claim faithfully tracks the passage.7 sources →

    ▶ 47:29

  52. 52TrueA Trump-appointed judge in Georgia blocked a subpoena for Fulton County election workers' information.Multiple sources report that U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II, appointed by Trump, quashed a Justice Department grand jury subpoena on July 7, 2026 seeking names and personal contact information of Fulton County 2020 election workers. The claim matches the passage's wording and the ruling predates the September 16 post.9 sources →

    ▶ 47:57

  53. 53TrueFederal law requires election records to be retained for 22 months.The claim that federal law requires election records to be retained for 22 months is directly confirmed by the U.S. Code text of 52 U.S.C. § 20701, the DOJ's own guidance, the EAC overview, and CRS. The claim matches the passage's question-and-answer exchange ('What's the record retention requirement for under federal law? 22 months.'), so the extraction is faithful and the claim is graded on its content.5 sources →

    ▶ 49:30

  54. 54Can’t tellFulton County officials filed lawsuits regarding election records without the permission of the board.Source [10] shows Chairman Robb Pitts and the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections filed a petition over the seizure of 2020 election records, which partly fits the claim's subject. No source addresses whether those filings were made with or without board permission, so the central 'without permission' element cannot be graded.4 sources →

    ▶ 49:54

  55. 55TrueFox News advised their network not to talk about Donald Trump's speech on the day after it occurred.Multiple sources report that Fox issued internal guidance to avoid promoting or covering Trump's July 16 speech, and that Fox largely skipped coverage the morning after. The guidance quoted in the reporting was addressed to Fox Business staff rather than the whole network, and it said "don't promote or push" the speech rather than literally "don't talk about" it, so the claim's scope is somewhat broader than the record.6 sources →

    ▶ 52:30

  56. 56TrueThe Supreme Court ruled that states can choose to have mail-in ballots delivered after Election Day if they were voted on or before Election Day.The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Watson v. RNC (June 29, 2026) that states may count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received afterward, upholding Mississippi's five-day grace period. The claim's wording about ballots being cast on or before Election Day matches the sources' 'postmarked by Election Day' standard, and the post's report that Mississippi won is accurate.7 sources →

    ▶ 52:41

  57. 57TrueThe Department of Justice sent a letter to state election officials last week instructing them to hold onto evidence.An AP report published September 10, 2026, says the DOJ sent letters to 29 states and DC instructing election officials not to destroy 2024 election records, which matches the claim's 'hold onto evidence' instruction within the week before the September 16 post. The sources do not confirm the post's 'we're investigating you' wording, and the later October letters postdate the post and are not the basis for this verdict.4 sources →

    ▶ 53:05

  58. 58TrueThe Department of Homeland Security issued a letter on July 18th claiming that California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey collectively had 250,000 potential non-citizens on their voter lists.DHS did claim that California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey collectively had over 250,000 potential non-citizens on their voter rolls, in a July 2026 release and letters, and the four state figures sum to about 256,000. The sources date the letters to July 16–17 rather than July 18, a peripheral detail that does not change the core assertion.7 sources →

    ▶ 55:41

  59. 59Can’t tellNevada officials identified 185 possible non-citizens on their voter list during meetings with the Department of Homeland Security.The claim departs from the passage: the post attributes the 185 figure to DHS, which 'met with' Nevada and 'stood by' 185 possible non-citizens, not to Nevada officials identifying them. The sources agree that DHS confirmed or identified the 185 cases, and Nevada officials disputed that, saying their records showed all 185 were citizens.6 sources →

    ▶ 56:17

  60. 60MixedThe United States has never canceled or postponed a federal general election in its 250-year history.Read as a claim that no national federal general election has ever been canceled or postponed, the sources support it: every source says no nationwide election was ever delayed. Read literally, as 'never' for any federal general election, it is contradicted by the 2026 CRS report, which describes the 2018 Northern Mariana Islands postponement after Typhoon Yutu as a postponed federal general election that included a U.S. House Delegate contest. The claim's absolute 'never' is therefore not accurate as stated, though the CRS calls the case the only one in modern history and it occurred in a territory.8 sources →

    ▶ 58:43

  61. 61True47 states offer early voting.Multiple sources dated before or near 2026-09-16 report that 47 states offer early in-person voting to all voters, with Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire as the exceptions. The claim is consistent with these figures, and the extraction matches the passage's wording.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:37

  62. 62TrueThree-fourths of the states offer mail voting without an excuse.As of 2026-09-16, 37 states plus DC allowed no-excuse mail voting, about 74% of the 50 states, which matches 'three-fourths.' Other sources report 36 to 37 states depending on how all-mail states are counted, and none contradicts the claim.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:42

  63. 63Can’t tellThe speaker served as a DOJ monitor for seven years.The claim attributes to the speaker (David Becker, per the episode title) seven years of service as a DOJ monitor, which the passage states. None of the provided sources addresses Becker's monitoring history, so neither confirmation nor contradiction is possible; the sources only give general background on the monitor program.3 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:25

  64. 64Can’t tellTamar Hagler served as Chief of the Voting Section at the Department of Justice for 25 years.The extracted claim says Hagler served as Chief of the Voting Section for 25 years, but the post says only that she was a former chief and that she "was there for 25 years" (at DOJ), so the claim departs from the passage. Sources confirm she was chief of the Voting Section, but none gives her total tenure or her tenure as chief, so the 25-year figure is neither supported nor contradicted.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:30

  65. 65TrueThe administration sent monitors to elections in 2025.The claim is supported: the DOJ announced in October 2025 that it would monitor polling sites in California and New Jersey for the November 4, 2025 election, and PolitiFact, CNN, and WDSU reported the monitors being deployed. The claim matches the post's wording, which refers to this administration sending monitors in 2025.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:48

  66. 66TrueCalifornia held its primary election on June 2, 2026.Multiple sources, including the California Secretary of State's official voter guide and dates page, confirm California's statewide primary was held June 2, 2026, and AP and Greenberg Traurig reports confirm results from that election. The claim is a plain factual statement that matches the extraction from the passage, which refers to 'the June 2nd primary' in California.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:04:38

  67. 67TrueThe California primary election took place on June 2nd.Multiple primary and official sources (California Secretary of State, San Francisco government, AP, and a recap piece) confirm the California statewide primary was held on June 2, 2026. The extracted claim is a faithful paraphrase of the passage's reference to the June 2nd primary, and no source contradicts the date.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:04:38

  68. 68TrueAttorneys from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles visited the Los Angeles County vote counting center following the June 2nd primary.An Assistant U.S. Attorney from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles visited the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, after the June 2 primary, as confirmed by the county's own report and by AP and CNN. The sources describe one attorney rather than several, a minor imprecision that does not change the core claim.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:04:48

  69. 69MixedThe owner of a company involved in signature processing was arrested at 5 a.m. following the California primary.The sources support the core of the claim: James Brass, who controlled Pinnacle Brass, a company tied to petition signature gathering, was arrested on September 10, 2026, roughly three months after the June primary. However, the sources do not connect the arrest to the primary itself, since the charges concern initiative petitions, and the NY Post (tier3) says Brass was arrested around 6 a.m. after leaving his home around 4:45 a.m., which conflicts with the claimed 5 a.m. arrest time.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:05:35

  70. 70FalseBanks kept 1,600 dollars from the average American in 2025.The claim that banks kept $1,600 from the average American in 2025 is grossly off. Sources show average savings balances near $8,000 to $10,000 and national average savings rates around 0.39% to 0.4%, which imply roughly $30 to $40 in annual interest, and even the high-yield-versus-bank gap on $10,000 is about $400, not $1,600. The post's $1,600 and $433 billion totals are not addressed by any source, and the extraction's 'average American' reflects the post's 'your bank'.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:08:07

  71. 71Can’t tellBanks kept over 433 billion dollars in interest from Americans.The only source giving a matching figure is River's own marketing piece claiming about $434 billion in 2025 net interest income, and River is the advertiser sponsoring this segment, so it cannot independently corroborate the claim. Independent sources cover related but different measures (FDIC interest expense, Fed reserve payments, credit card interest) and do not establish a $433 billion figure for interest banks 'kept' from Americans; the claim also departs from the passage's own arithmetic of $1,600 per person times millions of Americans.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:08:16

  72. 72TrueRiver offers a 3.3% interest rate on cash deposits paid in bitcoin.River's own materials and a third-party aggregator both state that cash on River earns 3.3% APY paid in bitcoin, matching the claim as of the 2026-09-16 post date. The sources are mostly River's own marketing and are not independent of the company, and the rate is stated as subject to change.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:08:47

  73. 73TrueBitcoin is trading at 75,000 dollars.On 2026-09-16, multiple same-day sources put Bitcoin at roughly $75,600 to $76,000, with a 24-hour low near $74,945, so "trading at 75,000" is a close rounded figure. The post's "down to 75,000" was said that day and the extraction matches it; later prices (about $68,000 to $78,000 in late October and early November) do not bear on the September 16 date.10 sources →

    ▶ 1:09:31

  74. 74TrueHuman bodies produce one to 2% less collagen every year after age 30.Multiple sources state that collagen declines after age 30 at roughly 1% to 1.5% per year, and one states 1 or 2% per year, so the claimed 1-2% range overlaps the reported figures. The sources are low-credibility commercial and blog pages with no authoritative source directly addressing this figure, and the post's wording is faithfully extracted.9 sources →

    ▶ 1:10:07

  75. 75MixedThe Supreme Court issued a 7 to 2 decision regarding Executive Order 14399.The September 14, 2026 Supreme Court order that left the USPS mail-ballot rule blocked is reported as a 7-2 split, but the Court published no vote breakdown and that tally is inferred from the Alito/Thomas dissent. Other sources describe the August 24 Executive Order 14399 ruling as 6-3 with three dissents, and an unrated outlet describes the September ruling as 6-3, so the vote count depends on which decision is meant.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:12:20

  76. 76FalseJustice Kavanaugh joined the majority opinion written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson regarding the Executive Order 14399 case.The claim that Justice Jackson wrote the majority opinion in the Executive Order 14399 case is contradicted: the Supreme Court's order lifting the block on the mail-voting order was a per curiam (unsigned) opinion, and Jackson dissented separately. Kavanaugh's majority membership is not contradicted, but the authorship claim is central and fails.2 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:15

  77. 77TrueThe President issued an internal directive five months ago mandating that the USPS initiate a proposed rulemaking regarding election ballot mail.The claim matches the Supreme Court's September 14, 2026 opinion in Postal Service v. California, which says that some five months earlier the President issued an 'internal directive' to his subordinates mandating that the USPS initiate a proposed rulemaking on election ballot mail. The EO 14399 text and the Federal Register confirm that the March 31, 2026 order directed USPS rulemaking, so the claim is supported, with 'internal' being the Court's characterization of a publicly issued order.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:31

  78. 78TrueNumerous organizations and a group of states led by California sued in the District of Massachusetts following the President's directive on election ballot mail.The claim matches the Supreme Court's own description in the 26A305 stay order: days after the President's directive, numerous organizations and a group of states led by California sued in the District of Massachusetts. Other sources confirm the Massachusetts venue and the California-led states coalition, so the claim is supported and the extraction faithfully reflects the passage.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:42

  79. 79TrueIn late August, the Postal Service promulgated a final rule requiring federal ballot mail to be sent in envelopes with an election mail logo, high-speed processing compatibility, and a unique voter barcode.The Postal Service's final rule "Ballot Mail for Federal Elections" was issued in late August 2026 (dated Aug 21 and published Aug 26) and requires federal ballot envelopes to bear the official Election Mail logo, be automation compatible (the claim's "high-speed processing"), and carry a unique voter IMb barcode. The rule's implementation is blocked by court injunctions, which the summary should note, but the claim is about promulgation and the requirements, which the sources confirm.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:17:05

  80. 80TrueFree Speech for People engages in litigation in Massachusetts.The sources show Free Speech For People engaged in litigation in Massachusetts: a federal docket lists it as plaintiff in a Massachusetts district court FOIA suit, and its own site describes amicus work in Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Healey and a Massachusetts campaign-finance case. The docket was filed October 1, 2026, after the September 16 posting date, and the organization's site is self-description, so the evidence is thin, though it points one way. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post's passage.3 sources →

    ▶ 1:20:28

  81. 81TrueCongress exempted the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service from review under the Administrative Procedure Act.The claim matches the statutory text of 39 U.S.C. §410(a), which the primary Supreme Court source (Alito dissent in Postal Service v. California) quotes as exempting "the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service" from review under the APA. Courts disagree on how broad that exemption is (Peoples Gas limits it to procurement-type operations), but the claim's core assertion about what Congress enacted is supported.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:24:25

  82. 82TrueThe Postal Service is exempt from review under the Administrative Procedure Act.The Supreme Court's 2026 order in USPS v. California (source 4) states that Congress broadly exempted the Postal Service's exercise of powers from APA review under 39 U.S.C. §410(a), and an opinion quoted in Edens (source 9) says the Postal Service 'is exempt from review under the Administrative Procedure Act.' The claim as extracted matches the passage's own wording, and nothing in the sources contradicts it; note that Air Courier (source 8) and a 2023 district court opinion (source 7) say the exemption may extend only partly to APA review, so it is a nuanced rather than absolute exemption, but the core assertion holds on the standard reading.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:24:32

  83. 83Can’t tellStatutory claims against the Postal Service must be reviewed first by the Postal Regulatory Commission and then by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.The passage says the statute channels 'many claims' to PRC initial review and then D.C. Circuit review, and the sources confirm that mechanism for certain complaints under 39 U.S.C. §§3662-3663. The extracted claim drops 'many' and asserts that all statutory claims against the Postal Service must go through this path, a widened scope the post does not state, so the claim departs from the passage and is unverifiable as stated.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:25:26

  84. 84TrueA federal district judge issued a nationwide injunction against the Postal Service regarding ballot mail regulations.Federal District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Postal Service's mail-ballot implementation on August 11, 2026, as the court order and several outlets report. The extraction is a faithful paraphrase of the post's reference to the judge's nationwide injunction; the later lifting of that injunction by the Supreme Court does not make the issuance claim false.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:29:52

  85. 85Can’t tellA district judge issued a nationwide injunction after Justice Scalia stated that district judges could not issue nationwide injunctions.The sources do not show that Justice Scalia said district judges could not issue nationwide injunctions, and no source covers the specific 2026 USPS mail-ballot injunction the post describes. Coverage of nationwide injunctions names other Justices' separate-opinion views but does not mention a Scalia statement of this kind, so the claim is uncorroborated rather than contradicted.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:29:52

  86. 86TrueJustice Thomas joined Justice Alito's dissent in the Supreme Court mail-in ballot order.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (Reuters, NYT, NPR, PBS, AP) report that Justices Alito and Thomas dissented from the Supreme Court's September 14, 2026 unsigned order declining to let the USPS enforce Trump's mail-in ballot rule, so Thomas joined Alito's dissent. The extraction faithfully reflects the post, which says Thomas joined the dissent of Alito's mail ballot ruling; the post's reference to Alito's dissent is consistent with sources.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:30:12

  87. 87TrueJustice Kavanaugh joined the concurrence in the Supreme Court mail-in ballot order.Multiple tier1 and independent sources (AP, Reuters, SCOTUSblog, CNBC, Deseret) report that Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a concurrence in the Supreme Court's September 2026 unsigned order denying the Trump administration's mail-in ballot rule request, with only Alito and Thomas dissenting. The post's 'Kavanagh' is the same justice, and the claim's 'joined the concurrence' is a faithful paraphrase; sources say he wrote a separate concurrence rather than merely joining, a detail that does not change the core assertion.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:32:15

  88. 88TrueA district judge expanded an injunction from 23 states to all 50 states.Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on August 11, 2026 expanded her June injunction from 23 mostly Democratic-led states to nationwide, and other outlets report the same expansion to all 50 states. The extracted claim matches the passage's wording, and the 'she' in the post resolves to Talwani.3 sources →

    ▶ 1:32:50

  89. 89TrueThe Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) provides pro bono legal assistance to election officials.The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) is a project of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) and connects election officials with licensed pro bono attorneys, as stated on the EOLDN homepage (2026-05-25) and by electionline (2026-08-07). The post's 'our election official legal defense network' refers to this CEIR project, given the title's reference to David Becker, so the claim holds as of 2026-09-16.5 sources →

    ▶ 9:31

  90. 90TruePeople have been arrested for voter registrations on Skid Row.Federal authorities arrested James Brass on Skid Row-linked charges in September 2026 (before the 2026-09-16 post), and the DOJ and other reports describe Skid Row voter-registration-related arrests and charges. The claim is loosely worded: the Brass case centers on paying people to sign petitions with stolen voter identities, while registration-specific charges (a petition circulator who agreed to plead guilty to paying someone to register) are reported separately.4 sources →

    ▶ 39:16

  91. 91TrueOne woman pled guilty in relation to the California primary election.Literally, the claim is supported: Orange County DA source [4] reports a Costa Mesa woman pled guilty to a misdemeanor for voting her dog in the 2022 California primary, and Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong pled guilty in June 2026 to a federal voter-registration payment count. However, the sources do not tie any guilty plea to the June 2026 primary itself; Armstrong's plea concerns paid petition circulation for ballot measures, so the post's intended 2026-primary reading is only loosely supported.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:05:32

  92. 92MixedBy age 60, many people have lost about half of their collagen.Sources give competing estimates of collagen loss by age 60, ranging from about 30% to 'more than half', so 'about half' falls inside the range and is not cleanly confirmed or refuted. The extraction faithfully matches the post's wording ('so many people have lost about half of it').7 sources →

    ▶ 1:10:16

  93. 93FalseThe Supreme Court denied the case regarding Executive Order 14399 based on timeliness.The sources say the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's emergency stay of the injunction against EO 14399 on August 24, 2026, ruling that the states' challenge was premature (standing and ripeness), not denied on timeliness grounds. The claim also departs from the passage's own framing, which tied the ruling to the timing of the election.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:11

  94. 94Can’t tellStacy Abrams' organization Fair Fight engages in litigation in Georgia.The sources document that Fair Fight Action litigated in Georgia, including its 2018 federal suit lost in September 2022 and a 2020 suit against True the Vote, but none show its current litigation as of 2026-09-16. The claim also departs from the passage, which says only that Abrams is "in Fair Fight down in Georgia" and never mentions litigation, so the claim adds a scope the post did not make.5 sources →
  95. 95TrueData was transferred from ERIC to CEIR.Multiple sources on the same ERIC-to-CEIR arrangement report that voter and motor vehicle data was passed from ERIC to CEIR, most directly a 2026 DHS letter and 2023 Pennsylvania reporting. The extraction is a faithful paraphrase of the post's reference to the 'ERIC-to-CEIR data handoff', and the post's other details do not change the core assertion.5 sources →

Sources

Fact-checkers 87Primary records 81Most reliable outlets 10Reliable outlets 56Less reliable outlets 2Unrated 278Rated low 4

  • justthenews.comRated low for factual reporting by Iffy.news · cited in checking claims 27, 55
  • alphanews.orgRated low for factual reporting by Iffy.news · cited in checking claim 27
  • thefederalist.comRated low for factual reporting by Iffy.news · cited in checking claim 95

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