ABC Affiliate That ‘Mistakenly’ Aired Election-Result ‘Test’ for Pennsylvania Responds
A Pennsylvania television station’s technical error during a Formula 1 race broadcast has ignited controversy after displaying mock election results showing Vice President Kamala Harris defeating Donald Trump, forcing the network to issue an immediate explanation and apology.
WNEP-TV, an ABC affiliate, inadvertently aired what it later explained were “randomly generated test results” during Sunday’s Mexico Grand Prix coverage.
The erroneous data, which appeared in the station’s news ticker, showed Harris capturing 52 percent of Pennsylvania’s vote compared to Trump’s 47 percent.
The incident quickly became viral fodder for election integrity discussions, particularly given Pennsylvania’s status as a crucial battleground state where Trump currently leads by 0.6 percentage points in Real Clear Politics’ polling average.
The station moved swiftly to address the situation, releasing a detailed statement explaining that the displayed numbers were part of standard pre-election technical testing and held no actual significance.
“Those numbers should not have appeared on the screen, and it was an error by WNEP that they did,” the broadcaster stated.
“The numbers seen on the screen were randomly generated test results sent out to help news organizations make sure their equipment is working properly in advance of election night.”
The station emphasized that the figures “were not reflective of any actual vote count” and outlined Pennsylvania’s strict voting procedures.
Daily Mail highlighted that according to state law, mail-in ballot processing cannot begin until 7:00 am on Election Day, with vote counting prohibited until after polls close at 8:00 pm.
Social media reaction was swift and intense.
“The cheat is on,” declared one user on X.
Another said, “Pennsylvania Republicans need to step up.”
Many commenters suggested that if identical numbers appear after November 5, it would raise serious concerns about election integrity.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of Pennsylvania’s razor-thin 2020 presidential race, where Joe Biden emerged victorious by just 80,555 votes – a margin of 1.17 percent.
This history, combined with current polling showing a tight race, has amplified attention on any election-related incidents in the state.
The controversy adds to existing tensions surrounding the upcoming election.
Trump has repeatedly urged his supporters to vote in overwhelming numbers to make the election “too big to rig,” while Democrats have accused the former president and his allies of preparing to contest potential losses by questioning election legitimacy.
This isn’t the first time ABC has faced criticism from Trump supporters.
The network recently drew conservative ire over its handling of the September 10 presidential debate, with some commentators alleging biased moderation that subjected Trump to extensive fact-checking while treating Harris more favorably.
WNEP concluded its statement with an apology for any confusion and assured viewers that measures have been implemented to prevent similar incidents.
“WNEP regrets the error and has taken steps to ensure that it does not happen again,” the station affirmed.
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