Trump Campaign Runs Facebook Ads With Wrong Election Day

Image: Popular.info, via Facebook

There’s an old dirty trick in politics where hucksters distribute information communicating the wrong election day to voters. The tactic generally works more effectively when you dupe your opponent’s voters, not your own. But the Donald Trump campaign has been running ads with the wrong election day, according to the Popular.info newsletter, claiming that “Election Day is Today” — but running them a full week before the Nov. 3 election day.

1. Facebook created a special rules for the week before the election

But Facebook has approved hundreds of Trump ads that violate those rules

Meanwhile, ads from Democratic groups that don't violate the rules are being removed

Follow along for detailshttps://t.co/kDDbCQHIpV

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 27, 2020

It is not only astonishingly stupid to tell your own supporters the wrong election day, it is also a violation of Facebook’s election ad policies. Facebook came up with a new set of rules for this year’s election ads, and they specifically say to not use the word “Today.”

3. Why did Trump run an ad saying it was Election Day a week early? Because there is a moratorium on new ads for the next week

But Facebook specifically said this was prohibited

Because it violates its policy against misinfo on the date of the electionhttps://t.co/kDDbCQHIpV pic.twitter.com/NXIWJKj6a5

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 27, 2020

“To prevent any potential confusion or issues during the restriction period, we encourage you to run messages that will stay relevant through Election Day. For example, ‘Vote on November 3’ instead of ‘Vote Today,’” the official Facebook policy says. “As a reminder, misrepresentations about when and how to vote violate our policy for voter suppression and interference.”

since @Facebook won't allow new political ads after tomorrow, team Trump went ahead & ran a bunch of ads today about record-setting GDP growth from the Q3 report that won't be released until 10/29. pic.twitter.com/TjHSb3BGcd

— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) October 26, 2020

You might think ‘Hey, people can just vote early or vote by mail, so ‘Election Day is Today’ is technically true!’ It’s not true. Several states do not have early voting and vote by mail. And there is all manner of other falsehoods being found in Trump campaign Facebook ads.

"As we made clear in our public communications and directly to campaigns, we prohibit ads that say 'Vote Today' without additional context or clarity," Facebook told USA TODAY in a statement. https://t.co/JL1e8fs0bo

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 28, 2020

These inaccurate ads were taken down, and the Trumpers are furious. His deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager told USA Today, “This is election interference at the hands of the Silicon Valley Mafia, and it is dangerous for our democracy.” 

She said this about an ad that told people the wrong election day. Election Day is November 3, but in the Bay Area you can vote right now, and here’s our handy Broke-Ass Stuart Voting Guide.