WASHINGTON — Social media is a breeding ground of misinformation, which is why the Verify exists: to separate fact from fiction.
Post online allege show someone surreptitiously disguising trash cans in Philadelphia as ballots boxes, with a "Ballot Box" logo plastered on the sides.
That led users to wonder whether this was an intentional voter suppression effort or something different. So, let's Verify.
QUESTION:
Were trash cans intentionally disguised as drop boxes to suppress voters?
ANSWER:
No. The boxes were part of an ad for an exhibit, which was since taken down.
SOURCES:
John Meko- Executive Director of the Union League Legacy Foundation
Union League Legacy Foundation Facebook post
Philadelphia Mayor's Office- spokesperson
PROCESS:
The boxes were spotted in Philadelphia, with users on Twitter warning voters to double-check where they put their ballots into.
We traced the photos back to the Union League Legacy Foundation, a non-profit and charity that does civics education. They’re also responsible for the red decals spotted on the garbage bins.
“I would never have dreamed, I can understand, but I would never have dreamed that that was going to be interpreted that way," John Meko, executive director of the Union League Legacy Foundation, said.
Meko says the stickers are an advertisement for “Ballot Box”, an exhibit on the history of voting rights in the U.S. at their Philadelphia headquarters.
"The exhibit is about America's fight for the vote from 1776 to the present," Meko says.
It also marks the passage of two historic milestones: the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
Our Verify researchers asked Meko about the claims that the trash cans were intentionally disguised. He said that was far from the truth.
"No, no, quite the opposite," he said. "We’re all about people being involved, not people not being involved. So no, that was not at all the intention."
The non-profit posted on Facebook saying in part: “Please accept our apologies for any misunderstanding.”
Meko says the ads were placed on two trash cans near their Philadelphia building, and were up for less than two hours on Friday, October 23rd.
He says city workers went through the trash and didn’t find any ballots.
We contacted the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office who confirmed there were no ballots in the Bigbelly trash cans, located on Broad & Samson St. and 15th & Samson St., and that the group had the city’s permission to put up the ads.
"In this instance, the ad in question was reviewed on Oct. 13 and approved because it conformed to the City's policy of allowing commercial advertisements that direct attention to a business, industry, profession, commodity, service, activity, institution, product, or entertainment for sale," a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Mayor's Office, said.
"No one at the time realized the unfortunate circumstance created by the ad’s placement: that a voter might mistake the Big Belly for a ballot dropbox," it continued.
So we can Verify, no, trash bins were not intentionally disguised as drop boxes.