The Same Old Ballot Box Bunkum

True the Vote, the group behind the debunked “2000 Mules” film, has partnered with a Detroit pastor named Lorenzo Sewell to create another election conspiracy movie. The new film, titled “Trap,” claims that Democrats are secretly voting for Black people without their knowledge or consent.

Sewell’s methods for detecting alleged voter fraud involve examining lists of voters and looking for unusual patterns in how they cast their ballots. He flags entries that he believes don’t match the names and addresses of local residents, but his claims are based on anecdotal observation rather than rigorous research or data analysis. A recent study suggests that voting by mail is actually more common among Black voters in communities with high hate-crime rates – a trend that contradicts Sewell’s assertion that “Black people don’t vote absentee.”

The lack of evidence supporting these claims doesn’t deter Sewell or his True the Vote allies. The group’s cofounder, Catherine Engelbrecht, has acknowledged that they’re working on a documentary focused on Michigan, while another True the Vote leader, Gregg Phillips, has promoted the project on social media. Even Tina Peters, the pardoned former Mesa County Clerk who gained notoriety for promoting election denialism, appears to be involved in some capacity.

True the Vote’s efforts are taking place against a backdrop of increased scrutiny and regulation aimed at preventing voter suppression tactics. Federal authorities have warned state election officials about potential noncitizen voting schemes – a concern that Phillips seems to believe will provide “bombs” for the new documentary.

The implications of this development are alarming, especially given the track record of similar films in stirring up baseless conspiracy theories and fueling voter intimidation efforts. Election experts warn that True the Vote’s new documentary could have a similarly corrosive effect on democratic institutions – an outcome that would be predictable considering the group’s history of spreading misinformation.

The same ideological fervor or fundraising opportunities drive groups like True the Vote to keep pushing these debunked theories, undermining public trust in democratic institutions and sowing confusion among voters. The consequences are clear: by peddling voter suppression myths and conspiracy theories, these groups erode confidence in the electoral process.

True the Vote’s “2000 Mules” film was one part of a broader effort to cast doubt on the 2020 election results. The group has a long history of promoting baseless claims about voter fraud, with its cofounders involved in several high-profile controversies over the years.

The impact of True the Vote’s new documentary will likely be felt in the coming months, particularly if it gains traction among Trump supporters or conservative media outlets. Election experts warn that the group’s claims could lead to increased voter intimidation efforts or even violence – outcomes with far-reaching consequences for democratic institutions.

As one expert notes, “The 2020 election is the most scrutinized election in world history, so any claims [True the Vote] makes six years later are clearly false and more designed to cause people to doubt the outcome of elections.” It’s a stark reminder that some people will stop at nothing to undermine the democratic process – and it’s up to all of us to call them out.