Mail ballot mirages aren’t fraud, but mail ballot fraud isn’t a complete myth

Shifting counts have a boring cause: who votes by mail, and when those votes get counted. That doesn’t mean all fraud claims are false, though.

By: Andrew E. Busch, University of Tennessee, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 23, 2026

Words: 1,651

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Andrew E. Busch, University of Tennessee

The 2026 primaries are resurfacing controversies about mail-in ballots that were at the heart of election disputes in 2020.

California’s June 2 primary – in which candidates from every party ran together and the top two advanced to the general election – raised eyebrows because of its so-called “red mirage.” A mirage is a misleading early count that can temporarily show a candidate ahead …

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