Listen to Reality, Not Rumors

The State Board of Elections started “Mythbuster Monday,” a social media series focused on debunking popular myths in North Carolina elections and elections at large. Misinformation can lead to confusion and damage the public’s trust in elections. Through these posts, we aim to educate the public and serve as a trusted source of election information.

We will update this page as new posts are published. To view these and much more, follow the State Board on FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn.

Have a question you’d like answered or a myth you want to be debunked? Email the State Board at misinformation@ncsbe.gov. For more regarding the effort to stop the spread of mis- and disinformation, visit Combating Misinformation.

2022 Mythbusters

Tab/Accordion Items

Rumor: Once you cast a provisional ballot, there’s no way to track it.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 3, 2022.

Rumor: Bad actors infiltrated county boards of elections’ networks and changed votes in 2020.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 10, 2022.

Rumor: U.S. House candidates must live in the district they wish to represent.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 24, 2022.

Rumor: Unaffiliated voters can’t vote in a partisan primary.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 31, 2022.

View more data related to the fact above at Investigations Division.

Rumor: Election irregularities are not investigated.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Feb. 7, 2022.

Rumor: Absentee-by-mail voters didn’t need a witness in 2020.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Feb. 28, 2022.

Find more information about the fact above at Vote in Person on Election Day.

Rumor: I can’t vote if it is close to when polls close and the line is too long.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 14, 2022.

Rumor: North Carolina elections officials can release “cast vote records” as some other states do.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 21, 2022.

Rumor: Votes are fraudulently being cast by 121+year-olds.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 4, 2022.

Rumor: Someone could vote twice by voting an absentee ballot and then voting in person.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 11, 2022.

Rumor: Ballot drop boxes were used in North Carolina’s 2020 general election.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 18, 2022.

Rumor: There is a “chip” in the motherboard of voting equipment in North Carolina that allows for a remote connection to the equipment.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 25, 2022.

Rumor: Counting should stop on election night.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post May 2, 2022.

Rumor: Dead people are voting!

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post May 9, 2022.

Rumor: Drop boxes were used in NC in 2020.

See also: https://bit.ly/3wtKHF0

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post May 16

Rumor: Absentee-by-mail ballots are only counted in close elections.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post May 23, 2022.

Rumor: For your ballot to count, you must vote in all contests on your ballot.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post June 6, 2022.

Rumor: Polling locations do not have accessible voting machines.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post June 13, 2022.

Myth: College students must vote in their hometown.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post June 20, 2022.

Rumor: Election administrators send annoying mass mailings.

Adapted from NCSBE's Twitter post on November 14, 2022.

2021 Mythbusters

Tab/Accordion Items

Your county board of elections must upload information about all voters who participated in the election before assigning your voter history. This may take up to a few weeks after Election Day.

Rumor: My Election Day vote didn’t count because it’s not showing up on my voter history.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 4, 2021.

Rumor: If election night results change over the ensuing days, the process is hacked or compromised, so I can’t trust the results.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Jan. 25, 2021.

Rumor: My vote doesn’t matter.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Feb. 1, 2021.

Rumor: Votes are fraudulently being cast by 120-year-olds.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Feb. 8, 2021.

Rumor: Counting stops on election night when the results are disliked.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 1, 2021.

Rumor: There’s no way to detect or investigate voter fraud.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 8, 2021.

For more information about the fact above, visit General Candidate Requirements.

Rumor: You can file for more than one office for a single election.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 15, 2021.

Rumor: If you are arrested for a misdemeanor, you lose your right to vote.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 22, 2021.

Learn more about North Carolina’s voting systems at Voting Equipment.

Rumor: Voting systems are vulnerable and easy to hack.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: March 29, 2021.

Rumor: I voted early in person, but it’s wrongly showing up as absentee on my voter record.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 5, 2021.

Rumor: If I don’t vote in each contest, my ballot won’t be counted.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 12, 2021.

Rumor: Boards of elections only work during election season.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: April 19, 2021.

Rumor: Voter fraud is rampant in North Carolina.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: May 10, 2021.

Learn more about the fact above at Registering as a College Student.

Rumor: College students have to vote in their home state or town.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: May 17, 2021.

Learn more about the fact above at Updating Registration.

Rumor: I don’t need to update my registration because I only moved across town, but remained in the same county.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: May 24, 2021.

Rumor: North Carolina’s voting machines are connected to the internet.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: June 7, 2021.

Rumor: Absentee-by-mail voting favors one political party more than another.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: June 14, 2021.

Rumor: If I’m unaffiliated, participating in a primary will change my registration status.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: June 21, 2021.

Rumor: The State Board contracts with voting system vendors.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: June 28, 2021.

Rumor: Democrats and Republicans can’t win statewide elections in the same year.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: July 5, 2021.

Rumor: Extending voting hours past 7:30 p.m. is illegal.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: July 12, 2021.

Rumor: Results are determined on Election Day.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: July 19, 2021.

Rumor: Provisional ballots are only counted in close contests.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: July 26, 2021.

For more information about the fact above, visit 2020 election certification.

Rumor: No audit has been conducted of the 2020 election.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Aug. 2, 2021.

Rumor: Every municipality is having an election in 2021.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Aug. 9, 2021.

Rumor: Municipal elections don't matter.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Aug. 16, 2021.

Rumor: If election night results change in the following days, the process must be compromised, so I can’t trust the results.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Aug. 23, 2021.

Rumor: My vote doesn’t matter.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Aug. 30, 2021.

Rumor: If I miss the voter registration deadline, I can't vote in the upcoming election.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Sept. 6, 2021.

Per the fact above, you can find your polling place using the Voter Search.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Sept. 13, 2021.

Are you a registered voter that recently moved? Visit Updating Your Registration.

Rumor: If I move within my county, I don't need to update my registration.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Sept. 20, 2021.

Learn more about the fact above at 2020 Election Certification.

Rumor: Voter fraud was abundant in North Carolina during the 2020 election.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Sept. 27, 2021.

Rumor: If I own a property in or pay property tax to a municipality or county, I can register to vote there without establishing it as my permanent residence.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Oct. 4, 2021.

Rumor: There’s no way to prove North Carolina voting systems tabulated voters’ choices correctly.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Oct. 11, 2021.

Rumor: The State Board “calls” elections.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Oct.18, 2021.

Rumor: Absentee votes are only counted if a race is close.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Nov. 1, 2021.

Rumor: The election management system is easily manipulated.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Nov. 15, 2021.

Rumor: If a voter is inactive, they may not vote.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Nov. 22, 2021.

Find more details related to the fact above at Your Voter Record.

Rumor: In-person early voting is incorrectly showing up on my voter record as “absentee.”

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Nov. 29, 2021.

For more information about the fact above, visit General Candidate Requirements.

Rumor: Any person may file for candidacy in North Carolina.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Dec. 6, 2021.

Rumor: North Carolina does not use paper ballots.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Dec. 20, 2021.

Rumor: Votes should stop being counted on election night.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Dec. 27, 2021.

2020 Mythbusters

Tab/Accordion Items

Rumor: North Carolina's voting machines are connected to the internet.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Dec.14, 2020.

Rumor: Absentee votes are only counted if a race is close.

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Dec.7, 2020.

Learn more about the fact above at Your Voter Record. 

Rumor: In-person early voting is incorrectly showing up on my voter record as “absentee.”

Adapted from NCSBE’s Twitter post: Nov. 30, 2020.