{
  "id": 16972403,
  "title": "Libs of TikTok Is Reviving an Old Conspiracy Theory About California’s Ballots",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/libs-of-tiktok-is-reviving-an-old-conspiracy-theory-about-californias",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T23:10:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/10/libs-of-tiktok-raichik-california-ballot-envelope-holes-voter-fraud/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "California Republican far-right account Libs of TikTok fanned the flames of an old conspiracy theory about the state's elections, claiming its ballot return envelopes were rigged with small holes to reveal votes. The post by real estate agent-turned-provoker Chaya Raichik garnered over 1.5 million views, but the origins of the holes date back to 2021 when similar claims surfaced ahead of the gubernatorial recall election. The holes serve a practical purpose, however, providing a way for blind and low-vision voters to locate where they must sign their envelopes. During November 2025's statewide special elections, misinformation about the perforations reached a fever pitch, prompting the California Secretary of State to issue a clarification: the holes are an accessibility feature, not a facilitator for tampering. The conspiracy theory that noncitizens are voting en masse in California has also been debunked, as has President Donald Trump's baseless assertion that Democratic mayoral candidate Nithya Raman could not have won Los Angeles' primary. Such election fraud stories have left 75 percent of the state's Republicans doubting the integrity of California's elections, while Democrats are more concerned about external interference.",
  "summary": "“California is rigging the elections,” announced the far-right conspiracist account Libs of Tiktok, run by real estate agent-turned-provocateur Chaya Raichik, on Sunday. Her evidence: small holes punched in the state’s ballot return envelopes. Raichik, whose post was viewed by 1.5 million people, shared a video filmed by someone who claimed the holes in the envelope […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Libs of TikTok revived old conspiracy theory about California's election rigging",
    "Small holes in ballot envelopes for accessibility, not tampering",
    "Misinformation about noncitizen voting and Democratic candidate's win debunked"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}