Methodology

To qualify as an Election Denier, a candidate or sitting official must meet one or more of the criteria below. An Election Denier is someone who has:

  • Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 election instead of the legitimate winner, President Joe Biden.

  • Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.*

  • Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation or lies.

  • Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and/or subsequent election cycles, including:

    • Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
    • Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
    • Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal-sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
    • Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.

  • Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to mulitple legal challenges

*Election-related conspiracies include a host of debunked claims and myths that gained momentum during the 2020 election cycle. Actions to promote conspiracies include, but are not limited to, sharing or liking videos by known election disinformation sources, such as “2000 Mules.” Actions to promote conspiracies also include, but are not limited to, knowingly amplifying baseless claims that voting machines were tampered with or were connected to the Internet, which allowed for tampering with vote totals; baseless claims that voting machines were designed to fail on Election Day; baseless claims that Dominion Voting Systems’s machines rigged the election; or proven false claims about “stolen elections” or activities that would have changed the outcome of a legitimate election.

Data Overview

Party Key

D = Democrat
R = Republican
O = Other party or no party

*Not enough available data to definitively assess Election Denial beliefs or actions, either because of gaps in recorded online activity after the 2020 election or because of a general lack of public presence online across social media and local news coverage.