US ambassador to Denmark makes incorrect Twitter claim about own vote
The United States Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands has been criticised for tweeting an incorrect claim that her own vote had not been counted in the country's general election.
Earlier this week, Sands posted on her personal Twitter account a screenshot which she claimed showed her absentee ballot in the state of Pennsylvania had not been registered.
Absentee or mail-in votes in the state can be tracked using the voter's name, date of birth and the county they voted in. All of this information for Sands is public.
Several other Twitter users – as well as the New York Times – then looked up Sands' vote on the Pennsylvania state government website and found it was indeed registered, on October 15th. It is unclear when the information on Sands' vote would have been updated to Pennsylvania's election website.
Some simple zoom and contrast shows your county, birthday is on Wikipedia (and you can also see it with zooming in)
Just checked your status again and yay, your vote was counted! You're no longer disenfranchised, go democracy! pic.twitter.com/w6qUisbs1l
— Greg Davis (@TheAmnos0405) November 11, 2020
.
Yes! Look it up yourself! pic.twitter.com/mqd9FnKiR9
— Joe La Scola (@joelascola) November 11, 2020
Sands, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, has made several Twitter posts since the US election in support of Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud.
The NYT writes that the US State Department did not respond to its request for comment after the paper sent press officers screen shots of both Sands’ tweets and the Pennsylvania election website showing her vote was counted. Danish broadcaster TV2 said it was unable to reach Sands for comment.
The story prompted Sands’ predecessor, former president Barack Obama appointee Rufus Gifford, to post a link to the NYT report with an apology to Denmark.
“I’m so sorry Denmark. Truth and decency will be back in 70 days,” Gifford wrote in reference to president-elect Joe Biden’s victory in last week’s election. The former ambassador campaigned for Biden in the 2020 US election.
I’m so sorry Denmark.
Truth and decency will be back again in 70 days. ????https://t.co/Y1kXJjnyXv
— Rufus Gifford (@rufusgifford) November 12, 2020
READ ALSO: 'This is how to leave office': Former Danish PM sends Trump a message
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Earlier this week, Sands posted on her personal Twitter account a screenshot which she claimed showed her absentee ballot in the state of Pennsylvania had not been registered.
Absentee or mail-in votes in the state can be tracked using the voter's name, date of birth and the county they voted in. All of this information for Sands is public.
Several other Twitter users – as well as the New York Times – then looked up Sands' vote on the Pennsylvania state government website and found it was indeed registered, on October 15th. It is unclear when the information on Sands' vote would have been updated to Pennsylvania's election website.
Some simple zoom and contrast shows your county, birthday is on Wikipedia (and you can also see it with zooming in)
— Greg Davis (@TheAmnos0405) November 11, 2020
Just checked your status again and yay, your vote was counted! You're no longer disenfranchised, go democracy! pic.twitter.com/w6qUisbs1l
.
Yes! Look it up yourself! pic.twitter.com/mqd9FnKiR9
— Joe La Scola (@joelascola) November 11, 2020
Sands, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, has made several Twitter posts since the US election in support of Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud.
The NYT writes that the US State Department did not respond to its request for comment after the paper sent press officers screen shots of both Sands’ tweets and the Pennsylvania election website showing her vote was counted. Danish broadcaster TV2 said it was unable to reach Sands for comment.
The story prompted Sands’ predecessor, former president Barack Obama appointee Rufus Gifford, to post a link to the NYT report with an apology to Denmark.
“I’m so sorry Denmark. Truth and decency will be back in 70 days,” Gifford wrote in reference to president-elect Joe Biden’s victory in last week’s election. The former ambassador campaigned for Biden in the 2020 US election.
I’m so sorry Denmark.
— Rufus Gifford (@rufusgifford) November 12, 2020
Truth and decency will be back again in 70 days. ????https://t.co/Y1kXJjnyXv
READ ALSO: 'This is how to leave office': Former Danish PM sends Trump a message
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