AAP FACTCHECK – An image supposedly showing a Canadian having crossed the border and voted in the US election is not what it claims to be.
The image was originally posted on social media by a US account, but has been repurposed by other users, spreading misinformation about the presidential election.
Facebook users posted the claim amid early voting being open in many states, ahead of the November 5 election.
“I am Canadian but USA doesn’t require voter Id so figured I would drive across the border and vote”, the posts claim, along with a photo of a presidential ballot with Donald Trump selected.
However, AAP FactCheck traced the image back to an American woman’s October 13 X post using a reverse image search.
This post is captioned: “I’m voting for the candidate who chooses Americans over illegals.”
The user’s profile says she is a content creator, with her location listed as North Carolina, and she makes no mention of being Canadian.
While the image in the Facebook posts has cropped out the woman’s finger, it still matches the original image as the shadows and creases in the ballot paper are the same.
The ballot circle is filled out identically and a crease in the paper is in the same position underneath candidate Claudia De la Cruz’s name.
The shadow is also identical. The top part of the shadow goes through Trump’s name, while the side dissects the “DEM” next to Kamala Harris’s name in both images.
The original poster also responded to one of the fake versions on X, posting: “This is a cropped photo of my ballot.”
The claim in the Facebook posts that the US doesn’t require voter identification is mostly false.
Most states do require some sort of ID verification before allowing you to cast a vote.
Posting photos of a completed ballot or a “ballot selfie” is also illegal in some states, for example in New York and Nevada, and penalties may apply.
Snopes has also debunked this claim.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
All information, text and images included on the AAP Websites is for personal use only and may not be re-written, copied, re-sold or re-distributed, framed, linked, shared onto social media or otherwise used whether for compensation of any kind or not, unless you have the prior written permission of AAP. For more information, please refer to our standard terms and conditions.
