FALSE: YouTube livestream of 2020 U.S. presidential election results

At a glance:

• Claim: Live election results of the 2020 US presidential elections were broadcasted on election day by several YouTube channels.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Polls weren’t closed yet when the livestreams started and ended.
• Why we fact checked this: The videos were viewed thousands of times on YouTube.

Complete details:

Several YouTube channels went live on election day and said they were streaming live election results on US election day on Wednesday, November 4 (Philippine time).

A cursory search on YouTube showed at least two channels that did this. One lasted for 7 hours and 28 minutes, while the other lasted for 40 minutes and 15 seconds. The videos had 7,318 and 3,718 views, respectively, as of posting. Both had the same graphic flashed on the screen that showed candidate Joe Biden was winning.

This is false. Both livestreams ended before any of the polls in the US closed.

The graphic used by the videos was also static. The logos on the graphic indicate that it was a combined mock-up of an interactive map by political website 270toWin and a chart by political news site Real Clear Politics.

Other YouTube channels also did this on election day, according to a report by global publisher Insider. They spotted 3 fake broadcasts similar to the videos mentioned above, which were taken down after the Insider sent links to YouTube. The Insider said the videos violated YouTube’s policies on “spam, deceptive practices, and scams.”

As of writing, the polls are gradually closing across the US. Follow this page for Rappler’s coverage, live updates, and results of the 2020 US presidential election. – Pauline Macaraeg/Rappler.com

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