🔍How this was checked: The bot searched the web (6 searches), cross-referenced 3 sources, and assessed each claim individually.
The post presents a circulating social media claim that 18,000 votes for Spencer Pratt were rejected as if it were established fact. In reality, LA County reported approximately 12,700 rejected ballots countywide (not 18,000), and because California law requires that rejected mail-in ballots remain unopened, it is impossible to know which candidate any rejected ballot was cast for. The post's claim that California law makes it impossible to confirm is accurate, but the 18,000 figure itself is unsubstantiated and inflated.
Verified against · 3 sources
Claim by claim
-
✗ False
Over 18,000 votes for Pratt in LA were reportedly rejected and returned to voters.LA County reported approximately 9,713 ballots challenged for signature matching and 2,991 unsigned ballots countywide — roughly 12,704 total, not 18,000. Furthermore, there is no way to attribute rejected ballots to any specific candidate because rejected mail-in ballots are never opened under California law. The 18,000 figure appears to be an inflated social media rumor, not an official count.
-
✓ Confirmed
There are claims of an even higher number.Multiple social media posts and conservative outlets have circulated claims about rejected ballots, with some alleging numbers higher than 18,000. These claims have been widely reported on and debunked by fact-checkers and election officials.
-
✓ Confirmed
California law makes it impossible to confirm [which candidate rejected ballots were cast for].Under California election law, mail-in ballots rejected for signature issues (missing or mismatched signatures) are not opened, meaning the voter's candidate selection is never revealed. This makes it impossible to determine how rejected ballots would have been cast for any candidate, including Pratt.
Caveats
The exact number of rejected ballots may shift slightly as LA County continues processing and curing ballots. The post's framing that votes were 'returned to voters' is partially accurate — California does have a ballot cure process that allows voters to fix signature issues, but not all rejected ballots are successfully cured.
Community note
Misleading. LA County reported roughly 12,700 rejected ballots countywide, not 18,000. California law requires rejected mail-in ballots to stay unopened, so it is impossible to know which candidate they supported. The 18,000 figure is an unsubstantiated rumor.