False election claims in California reveal a new normal for the GOP

Elena Johnson, 65, a Los Angeles County teacher who attended a rally for Mr Elder in Ventura County last year, told the presidency last year: “I believe very honestly that there were irregularities and fraudulent activities.” about the election. “it was stolen.”

Because of her concerns about voter fraud in the 2020 election, Ms Johnson said, she would cast her vote in person on Tuesday rather than by mail. She said she was backing Republicans because she felt that California, her adopted home from the Philippines 40 years ago, was on the verge. “California is where I came from, and California is where I want to be,” she said.

Since the start of the recall, there have been allegations of election fraud on social media in California, with daily mentions in the low thousands, according to a review by Jignal Labs, a media tracking agency.

But singular claims or conspiracy theories, such as selectively edited videos to show that people with post office “master keys” can steal ballots, have quickly ricocheted around the broader conservative ecosystem. The post office video, amplified by high-profile Trump aides and members of the conservative news media, surpassed one million views.

Nationally, Republican candidates who deny the results of their elections remain outsiders. Hundreds of GOP candidates admitted their defeat on the ballot in 2020. But at the same time, many of them have joined Mr Trump in attacking the outcome of the presidential race, and in other recent election cycles, in news from candidates, his allies and conservatives. The media cast doubt on the legality of the electoral process. Is.