ABC affiliate WNEP-TV accidentally aired election results showing Vice President Kamala Harris’ victory. Pennsylvania…just a week before Election Day. The graphic, which shows Vice President Harris’ victory with 52% of the vote over his Republican challenger. Donald TrumpThe 47% appeared during the station’s Sunday coverage of the Mexican Formula One Grand Prix, sparking a wave of online conspiracy theories and criticism of the network.

WNEP-TV has since clarified that the numbers were “randomly generated” for equipment testing purposes and were not based on any actual vote counts.

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ABC mistakenly broadcasts Pennsylvania election results

“Those numbers should not have appeared on screen, and it is a mistake on WNEP’s part,” the broadcast station reportedly told the Daily Mail of the “problem.” The network clarified the error which caused a stir on social media, explaining that the figures broadcast were purely “randomly generated test results” with no connection to the actual vote count.

“The numbers displayed on the screen are randomly generated test results sent to help news organizations ensure their equipment is working properly before election night,” they added.

They pointed out that Pennsylvania law prohibits mail-in ballots from being opened until the morning of Election Day, with no votes counted until polls close at 8 p.m. Adding to its statement, WNEP expressed regret for the incident, apologizing for the confusion and assuring viewers that measures are in place to prevent a recurrence.

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Pennsylvania Poll: Harris, Trump Tied in Very Close Election

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are engaged in a tight race in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, with Real Clear Politics data showing Trump holding a slim 0.7% lead, or 48.2% to 47.5%. for Harris. Nationally, however, the vice president has a slight advantage in the polling averages. On November 5, Americans will decide who will succeed President Joe Biden. In 2020, Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania, beating Trump by just 80,555 votes, a margin of 1.17% according to the Post.

“The cheating game is on,” one user posted, accusing ABC of bias. Another added: “ABC is rigging things for the Democrats: Revoke their license. » A third wrote: “I’m taking a screenshot of this, and if the same thing shows up on November 5th we’ll talk about it.” » ABC has faced major backlash this election season, with critics accusing the network of leaning toward Democratic perspectives, particularly during the recent Harris-Trump debate, where some viewers felt the moderators showed undue favor to Harris.

Pennsylvania’s 19 polling places really matter in the fight to reach the 270 mark needed to win the Electoral College. The 538 presidential prediction says Pennsylvania will be very close, with Trump tipped to win about half the time.