FACT CHECK: No, This Video Does Not Show Illegal Votes Being Trucked In Overnight in Milwaukee

A post on X claims to show “brazen footage stealing senate seats” when a truck brought in ballots overnight in Wisconsin.

🚨🚨🚨 BRAZEN FOOTAGE STEALING SENATE SEATS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ⚠️ SHARE THIS FOOTAGE QUICKLY BEFORE THEY HIDE IT ALL: https://t.co/W0iLnQKYXe

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) November 13, 2024

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that anything nefarious took place in the footage linked to.

Fact Check:

In Wisconsin, Incumbent Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin defeated Republican Eric Hovde for the senate race within the state, according to The New York Times. Hovde has yet to officially concede, however, claiming that “statistically, this outcome seems improbable,” referring to a 4 a.m. ballot drop out of Milwaukee that he suggests “mostly went to Baldwin.”

Many people have reached out to me with concerns about the voting inconsistencies we experienced on Election Day. Here are my thoughts: pic.twitter.com/zDvaeHaizw

— Eric Hovde (@EricHovde) November 12, 2024

A post on X purports to have evidence of the election being stolen from Hovde. Claiming to have “brazen footage,” the post links to a video hosted on Rumble that shows two trucks arriving at a building where vote counting takes place.

“BRAZEN FOOTAGE STEALING SENATE SEATS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SHARE THIS FOOTAGE QUICKLY BEFORE THEY HIDE IT ALL,” the post’s caption reads. (RELATED: Has CBS News Reported ‘Cheating’ In The 2024 Presidential Election?)

The footage shows nothing nefarious, however. There is no proof that any ballots delivered overnight were illegal and the trucks arrived with media present. Milwaukee certified the election results on November 11, almost a week after Election Day. In a statement seen on Facebook, the city’s election commission clarified these were legal absentee ballots.

“It is both expected and routine that absentee ballots—over 100,000 in this case—are counted and reported in the late hours of Election Night due to Wisconsin’s high voter turnout and the rigorous verification standards the MEC upholds,” the post’s caption claims in part. “Unlike states led by both Republicans and Democrats that permit absentee ballots to be processed ahead of Election Day, Wisconsin does not, which can result in the reporting of large numbers of absentee ballots late at night.”

In addition, the city uses a system called the “Central Count” for absentee ballots. According to the Wisconsin Elections website, “instead of processing absentee ballots at the polling place, absentee ballots be processed and canvassed at an alternate site” and are entered in at the same time, which may explain the sudden drop.