Social media users are misrepresenting ABC talk show “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin’s remarks on her experience with dropping off her son’s absentee ballot for the U.S. midterm elections. They say she admitted committing voter fraud, but a representative for Hostin denied the allegations. Laws in New York, where they live, allow for designated family members to legally drop off other people’s ballots.
One Facebook video said, “Did Sunny Hostin admit to committing voter fraud on behalf of her son?” (here). More examples of this claim are viewable (here) and (here).
In the clip taken from the popular show, Hostin says she had “trouble actually voting for [her son], absentee ballot today, and that made me very concerned.”
She went on to explain her experience with a poll worker who asked her to place the absentee ballot in a bag on the floor, and had to ask if there was an official election box that clearly says “absentee ballots, or something like that.”
The clip appears to be from a Nov. 8 episode of “The View,” on election day. The show posted a longer version of the video on its YouTube page the same day, and the clip circulating online can be seen at around the 9:06 timestamp (here).
Users online are taking Hostin’s quote on “voting for” her son to mean that she fraudulently filled out a ballot and cast it on his behalf, but a representative for Hostin told Reuters that there was no illegal activity, nor an admission of guilt.
“Sunny and her son abided by the law,” the representative said. “She was the designated person he assigned to drop off his completed absentee ballot.”
The representative also confirmed Hostin’s residence to be in Westchester County, New York.
In New York, individuals can vote by mail with a valid excuse, which includes being out of the county on election day, having an illness or disability, as well as being an incarcerated but qualified voter (here).
In Westchester County specifically, a designated person can pick up and deliver a voter’s ballot on their behalf. The voter must designate that person on their ballot application (here).
Hostin is also the news legal analyst for ABC and previously served as a federal prosecutor (sunnyhostin.com/about/).
VERDICT
Missing context. While Sunny Hostin did mention voting for her son on election day, she was talking about dropping off an absentee ballot on his behalf and not fraudulently casting votes for him.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .
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