ABC’s local affiliate WNEP-TV accidentally aired test election results for Pennsylvania during a Formula 1 broadcast on Sunday, sparking a wave of conspiracy theories on social media. The ticker displayed Kamala Harris leading with 52% of votes to Donald Trump’s 47%, prompting immediate claims of election fraud, with one user tweeting, “The cheat is on.”
WNEP-TV explained that the numbers were “randomly generated” test data, intended to ensure equipment functionality for the upcoming November 5 election night. The station expressed regret, clarifying that Pennsylvania law prevents mail-in ballots from being opened until Election Day, with official counting beginning only after polls close at 8:00 p.m.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, WNEP apologized for the “glitch,” stating, “Those numbers should not have appeared on the screen, and it was an error by WNEP that they did.” The station emphasized that the test results were unrelated to actual vote counts and reassured viewers that measures are in place to prevent a similar error in the future.
The incident has fueled partisan accusations against ABC, with critics alleging the network’s bias toward Democratic candidates, especially following the Harris-Trump debate, which some viewers felt showed favoritism toward Harris.
The Pennsylvania race remains a tight battleground, with Real Clear Politics data showing Trump holding a slight 0.7% lead. As the November 5 election approaches, Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are considered crucial in the battle to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
