Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Conservatives' Claim That Sharpies Were Planted In Arizona To Invalidate Trump Votes Gets Debunked

Conservatives' Claim That Sharpies Were Planted In Arizona To Invalidate Trump Votes Gets Debunked
NurPhoto/Getty Images

With Joe Biden holding a narrow lead in the traditionally Republican state of Arizona a day after the elections concluded, conservatives all over the internet have been desperately searching for a conspiracy to explain why President Trump is losing.

They quickly found a pretty wild one: sharpies are to blame.


Republican pundit Matt Schlapp took to Twitter on the morning of Wednesday, November 4, to claim that Arizona ballots were being thrown out because their choices had been filled in using the provided sharpies.

Of course, Schlapp's claim was preemptively debunked last month, but that didn't stop online conservatives from spreading the rumor like wildfire.

Twitter added a disclaimer to Schlapp's tweet warning users that it contained misleading information.

Of course, all the usual suspects began to insist there was some sort of foul play at work.


Despite the conspiracy theorists' insistence on some sort of scheme, Arizona's Secretary of State took to the airwaves to insist every vote would be counted, including those cast with a sharpie.

Even if a sharpie ballot could not be read by the vote-counting machines, those ballots would then be hand examined by a poll worker.


Can I use a Sharpie on my Ballot? Maricopa County Voters can use a Sharpie to Mark their Ballotwww.youtube.com

But many of these Republican voters didn't seem particularly eager to hear reason.



Some irresponsible individuals even went so far as to draw the entire election into question.


Some voters were given a sharpie at the polls, which lead to some fearing their votes wouldn't be counted.


Fortunately, election officials were on hand to set the record straight for Arizona voters everywhere.


Online conservatives, usually lead by President Trump, are often passing around conspiracy theories.

But this time, as is almost always the case, there is no factual basis for their claims.

More from People/donald-trump

The Rainbow Bridge in Crissie Caughlin Park, Reno
cityofreno/Instagram

Rainbow Bridge Honoring Kids' Beloved Late Pets Gets Cruelly Vandalized—And Everyone Has The Same Thought

"The rainbow bridge" is a euphemism for where deceased pets go after they pass, and people have called it that for decades now.

But when you're an anti-LGBTQ+ bigot, everything looks like a threat to your bizarre obsession with gender roles and people's personal lives. And sadly, it seems "the rainbow bridge" is no exception.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joe Lonsdale
Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Tech Billionaire Sparks Outrage After Calling For Return Of Public Hangings To Show 'Masculine Leadership'

Tech billionaire Joe Lonsdale—the co-founder of the software company Palantir—sparked outrage and faced swift pushback after he called for a return of public hangings for violent criminals to demonstrate "masculine leadership" in America.

Lonsdale made the remarks in response to online criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing heavy criticism for his cavalier attitude toward the Department of Defense's attacks on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Hilariously Dunks On Trump For Hosting The Kennedy Center Honors

California Governor Gavin Newsom trolled President Donald Trump by sharing an AI-generated photo of himself accepting the inaugural—and not real—"Kennedy Center peace prize" from Trump.

The photo accompanied a post in which Newsom mocked not just Trump but also Ric Grenell, the Kennedy Center's president, whom Newsom referred to as a "janitor" in a post that—like many of Newsom's past posts—is written in a style not unlike the rants Trump publishes on Truth Social.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Marjorie Taylor Greene
Samuel Corum/Getty Images; 60 Minutes

Trump Completely Melts Down Over 'Low IQ Traitor' MTG's Sit-Down Interview With '60 Minutes'

President Donald Trump attacked Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after his former ally-turned-nemesis criticized him in an interview with Lesley Stahl on Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes.

Greene told CBS that his inflammatory language “directly fueled” threats against her family, including an email asserting that a pipe bomb had been planted targeting her son.

Keep ReadingShow less
Surprised man
Photo by Nachristos on Unsplash

Things That Feel Totally Fake But Are Actually 100% Real

Science is fascinating, but sometimes it's so fascinating, it switches straight from scientific finds to science fiction.

But there are some truths in the universe that feel impossible to believe but which are totally true.

Keep ReadingShow less