Allegations of Election Fraud in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

Recent conspiracy claims about the Los Angeles mayoral primary election have quickly spread on social media. These allegations center around Spencer Pratt, a reality TV personality, who was eliminated from the race. Initial claims suggested Pratt received zero votes, which the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed as false. Another unfounded story blames fraudulent ballots from homeless individuals for Pratt’s loss.

A TikTok user posted interviews with purported Skid Row residents who claimed they were paid a few dollars to vote for Mayor Karen Bass. Bass, who advanced to the runoff against Councilmember Nithya Raman, allegedly benefited from these fraudulent votes. However, L.A. County election officials dismissed these claims, pointing out there was no evidence supporting them. A Bass campaign spokesperson called the accusations “absurd.” They compared them to misinformation spread in past elections.

Times reporters sought to find the individuals in the TikTok videos on Skid Row but were unsuccessful. Experts noted that even isolated cases of voter fraud would not impact an election with over 750,000 participants. Christopher R. Hallenbrook, a political science professor, emphasized that such minor incidents would not alter the results significantly.

Rick Hasen, a law professor, stated that although any allegations should be investigated, the claims of widespread fraud are improbable. Purchasing votes would be expensive and risky, he added, suggesting that a conspiracy of this scale is highly unlikely.

Residents of Skid Row interviewed by The Times expressed surprise at the allegations. None of them had been approached with offers of money to vote, and most had not participated in the election.

The Times did uncover reports of workers offering cash for signing ballot petitions. Some individuals accepted a few dollars to do so, and one person admitted to using various names for a $10 fee. Such practices have resulted in legal action previously.

In a plea agreement, a woman from Marina del Rey conceded to paying people on Skid Row to register to vote. This allowed them to sign ballot petitions, as required. In cases where individuals lacked an address, she provided them with her former address to facilitate mail-in ballots, a method checked by voter registration records.

All mail-in ballots undergo a signature verification process to maintain authenticity. California allows ballots to be counted if postmarked by election day and received within seven days thereafter. The occurrence of ballots without postmarks is minimal.

Conservative media figure Benny Johnson claimed L.A. used a system to manipulate the election against Pratt, without providing evidence. His assertion included inaccurate statements about the precinct level map of election results.

Pratt suggested homeless individuals’ votes closed the gap between him and Raman. The California Post reported that the U.S. Attorney plans to investigate claims of voter registrations at homeless shelters, some with more voters than beds. Spencer Pratt’s campaign posters observed on Skid Row fueled these discussions.

According to officials, shelter beds should not be directly compared with voter registration data. Homeless voters might use service provider addresses or P.O. Boxes. They retain their right to vote and can participate in person if necessary.

Georgia Hawley of the Midnight Mission clarified that their facility provides various services, and voter registration numbers could reflect multiple individuals benefiting from these services.