From Lead Stories · · 1m
Fact Check: Photos Do Not Show Pickup Truck Carrying Ballots
Photos falsely claim pickup truck carried ballots southbound on I-215 in Menifee, CA.
In brief
Photos falsely claim pickup truck carried ballots southbound on I-215 in Menifee, CA. USPS and Riverside County confirm no ballots were transported in the truck shown in social media posts. Originally reported by Lead Stories.
Claim on X
A post by @RivcoCitizen on X claimed a pickup truck carried ballots southbound on I-215 in Menifee, CA.
“🚨RED ALERT 🚨 This truck carrying ballots was seen traveling southbound on the 215 and Clinton Keith in Menifee, CA”
USPS Response
USPS confirmed no evidence the items were in their custody and the trays lacked mail-in ballot markings.
“The U.S. Postal Service is fully committed to the secure and timely delivery of the nation's Election and Political Mail. In this case, there is no evidence that the items being transported were in Postal Service custody...”
Riverside County Response
Riverside County Registrar of Voters stated they do not transport ballots in pickup truck beds.
“Based on the photograph alone, we cannot determine what is being transported in the back of the vehicle or who the vehicle belongs to. Therefore, we cannot verify any claims regarding its contents or ownership. We can confirm the County of Riverside Registrar of Voters does not transport ballots or election-related materials in this manner.”
Tray Analysis
Trays in the truck had red political campaign tags, not green mail-in ballot tags.
“The trays shown in the social media post include red tags, which are used for political campaign mail”
News Searches
No established news outlets reported the claim using the specified search terms.
“Lead Stories searched Google News and Yahoo News and found no matching reports about the claim from established news outlets using the search terms: 'ballots', 'truck', 'Menifee', and 'Clinton Keith'.”
Google Maps Verification
Google Maps confirmed the truck was traveling southbound on I-215 in Riverside County.
“Using Google Maps and Google Street View, Lead Stories confirmed that the truck shown in the social media post was traveling southbound on Interstate 215 (I-215) in Riverside County”
The key point
USPS and Riverside County confirm no ballots were transported in the truck shown in social media posts.
