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With just over two weeks until the November 3 midterm elections, a new wave of false and misleading claims targeting election procedures, political figures and the integrity of the vote are gaining traction online. These have included fabricated statements attributed to Elon Musk and Pope Leo XIV to misleading warnings about mail-in ballots.
A review of fact-checks published by Snopes, AFP Fact Check and Lead Stories recently identified six cases that deserve your attention. Although the claims differ, they follow a familiar pattern that we outline here.
False Claims About Election Procedures
Georgia is not removing party affiliations from its ballots this year. AFP Fact Check recently debunked online warnings claiming that Georgia had eliminated party labels from ballots for the November elections. The organization rated the claim partly false and confirmed that party affiliations will still appear on ballots until 2028. The misleading posts risk confusing voters about how candidates will be identified.
The U.S. postmaster general did not announce plans to block mail-in voting. Another misleading narrative caught by fact-checkers suggested that Postmaster General David Steiner had warned of ways to obstruct mail-in ballots, prompting recommendations that voters avoid the mail and use ballot drop boxes instead. Snopes found that the claim distorted Steiner's statements. The episode illustrates how misleading interpretations of official remarks can generate unnecessary concerns about reliable voting procedures.
Fabricated Statements Target Musk, Trump and the Pope
Elon Musk did not announce a secret plan to stop Democrats from winning. A fabricated screenshot circulating on social media purported to show the billionaire declaring on X: "No one needs to worry about Democrats winning the midterm elections. I have a plan." Snopes identified the post as fake. The hoax is particularly relevant given Musk's financial involvement in Republican campaigns (discussed in this analysis). By attributing an explicit plan to prevent Democratic victories to one of the country's most prominent political donors, the fabricated post could reinforce suspicions about wealthy individuals' influence over elections.
Trump did not accuse Ukraine of interfering in the midterms after strikes on Russian bot farms. Another false story alleged that President Donald Trump had accused Ukraine of election interference following Ukrainian strikes against Russian "bot farms" in October. Both Snopes and Lead Stories traced the claim to satire, rather than an authentic presidential statement. The fabricated accusation connected two politically sensitive issues – the war in Ukraine and foreign interference in U.S. elections – to create a misleading narrative about international involvement in the midterms.
Pope Leo XIV did not accuse Trump of plotting to cancel the elections. A viral quotation falsely attributed to the pontiff claimed that Trump needed chaos, martial law and emergency powers to avoid holding the midterms. Snopes determined that the statement had been incorrectly attributed to the pope. By invoking a globally recognized religious authority, the fabricated quotation attempted to lend credibility to an alarming political accusation.
Fake News Reports Enlist Musicians Against Democrats
ABC, CNN and CBS did not report that three prominent musicians had criticized Democrats ahead of the elections. Lead Stories debunked supposed news reports involving Fred Durst, Krist Novoselic and Damon Albarn. The fabricated stories used the names of established news organizations and recognizable musicians to create the appearance of credible political criticism. The case illustrates how false reports can borrow the reputations of public figures and new media outlets to amplify fake political messages.
And as DDIA has been saying, the tactics used by disinformers are not new. Similar strategies as the ones seen above appeared during previous U.S. elections, when false allegations about mail-in voting, ballot counting and election interference circulated widely online, as well as hoaxes about the Pope and other celebrities supporting or rejecting a candidate/party. The concern is that repeated exposure to misleading allegations can surely contribute to broader distrust of election procedures, political institutions and the legitimacy of electoral outcomes, negatively impacting democracies.