Inaccurate TV Graphic Sparks Erroneous Claims of Election Fraud in Pennsylvania

Social media posts falsely suggest there was fraud in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race, citing a TV graphic that showed Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano with nearly 500,000 more votes than Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, but Mastriano trailing 41.6% to 56.6%. The graphic showed inaccurate numbers that were quickly corrected on air.

At about 11 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, about 94% of the votes were counted in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race. Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro was declared the victor, with 55% of the votes, over Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano, who received 42%, according to the Associated Press.   

As of Nov. 22, Shapiro won with 3,012,691 votes, or 56.4%, while Mastriano received 2,231,882 votes, or 41.8%, according to the unofficial election results from the Pennsylvania Department of State. 

But posts on social media shared a graphic aired on the conservative media outlet Right Side Broadcasting Network, or RSBN, that included inaccurate partial results of the race. The posts falsely suggest that the graphic was proof of election fraud. 

One of the posts was shared on Instagram on Nov. 10 and another was shared on Nov. 21.