A post shared on Facebook claims 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ name was removed from the ballot in Montana.
Verdict: False
Harris’ name did not appear on the ballot due to a technical error, which was later corrected, according to USA Today and the Daily Montanan. A spokesperson for the Montana Secretary of State’s Office denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
A recent survey conducted by Reuters and Ipsos indicates Harris is ahead of 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump by seven points, according to The Hill. Harris is at 46.61%, while Trump is at 40.48%, or a “47-40 gap” when rounded, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims Harris’ name was removed from the ballot in Montana.
“The Republican Montana Secretary of State @SOSJacobsen instructed her office to leave VP Kamala Harris’ name off voting ballots that were sent to thousands of Montanans living abroad. She should be arrested and charged with election interference. Where the hell is the DOJ?” the post reads.
The claim is false. According to
USA Today, the Montana Secretary of State’s office “received a report of the ballot not displaying correctly” after Montana’s Electronic Absentee System went live to kick off absentee voting for overseas and military voters. The Secretary of State’s Office then “took the system offline” to correct the issue, the outlet reported.
Likewise, the
Daily Montanan also reported Harris’ name not appearing on the ballot was the result of a technical error and was not deliberate. The outlet reported Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen labeled online claims that Harris’ name was purposely left off the ballot as “egregious misinformation” and explained that she had “certified qualified candidates, including Harris and [running mate Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim] Walz for the ballot in August.”
(RELATED: Was Kamala Harris Caught Using A Teleprompter During Her Recent Interview With Oprah?)Check Your Fact also did not find
any credible news reports to suggest Harris’ name was purposely left off the ballot in Montana. Actually, the opposite is true. On September 23,
VERIFY reported the claim was false. The outlet indicated a technical error had occurred and referenced Jacobsen’s statement calling out false online claims as “egregious misinformation.” In addition, Harris does not appear to have commented on the claim via her
2024 campaign website or her
verified social media accounts.
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Montana Secretary of State’s Office denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“The claim is egregious misinformation. Montana’s Secretary of State certified the 2024 General Election ballot on August 22nd, and each certified candidate appears on the ballot. Claims insinuating otherwise are completely and totally false,” the spokesperson said, referencing an
online list of the candidates running in the general election.
