From ‘Missing Votes’ to Viral Squirrels: A Post-Election Deep Dive into Popular Narratives

New Today: Election conspiracy spikes, Pennsylvania election fraud claims, and unexpected viral moments driving conversation

Welcome to a special post-election edition of Detect, Decipher, Defend with PeakMetrics—your go-to resource for navigating brand reputation challenges. Explore recent case studies and learn how to detect, decipher, and defend against emerging narrative threats. Let’s dive in!

1. "Missing 20 Million Votes" Narrative Fuels Election Conspiracy Theory Surge

Following the announcement of the 2024 presidential election results, narratives casting doubt on the vote count began spreading rapidly online. A growing discussion on X claimed that 18-20 million votes were “missing,” with users citing alleged discrepancies in voter turnout compared to 2020. However, as WIRED reported, this gap is simply due to the fact that not all votes had been counted at the time.

The Spread of The Narrative

PeakMetrics found that the number of posts on X surged on the morning of November 6, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election results and urging Kamala Harris to investigate or demand a recount. By noon, these posts peaked at 94,000 per hour and continued to trend throughout the day. The narrative ranged from hashtags like #donotconcedekamala and phrases like “math ain’t mathing” to specific claims of “missing votes” totaling 18-20 million. This perceived discrepancy between reports of record voter turnout and fewer reported votes compared to 2020—particularly the referenced 18-20 million—began to gain traction among some influential X users, amplifying the narrative further.

As reported by WIRED, the rise of conspiracy theories from left-leaning or anti-Trump accounts, collectively known as BlueAnon, became more prominent earlier this year, especially following the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in July. 

The Early Morning Surge

Posts questioning the election count spiked around 2 a.m. ET, shortly after the election was called for President Trump. By 8 a.m. ET, the number of posts per hour had surged to nearly 32,000, with an unusual lack of decline in activity during typical overnight hours. This continuous increase in posts from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET reflects the intensity of the narrative or may indicate inauthentic or automated posting behavior driving the discussion.

The Right vs. The Left

Although predominantly left-leaning accounts shared language supporting a recount and citing the “missing” votes, some right-leaning influencers—including Dinesh D’Souza and Benny Johnson—also engaged with the narrative. Right-leaning accounts referenced this speculation to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election, asserting that the 2020 vote count was artificially inflated for President Biden and that today’s “missing votes” for Harris prove a larger electoral manipulation in Biden's favor.

As narratives like the “missing votes” theory spread rapidly, online discourse can quickly become a breeding ground for conspiracy theories. Real-time monitoring, as seen with PeakMetrics, is essential in identifying and analyzing these claims early.

2. Pennsylvania Dominates Election Fraud Discourse Among Battleground States on X

On November 5th, PeakMetrics data revealed that election fraud discussions on X overwhelmingly focused on Pennsylvania, far more than any other battleground state.

Throughout the day and into the early hours of November 6th, PeakMetrics identified that a significant majority of Pennsylvania election fraud discussions on X (formerly Twitter) centered on Philadelphia, with 91% of posts mentioning the city compared to just 9% mentioning other Pennsylvania cities and counties. There were 172,945 X posts detected on election fraud, including claims of non-citizens voting, that also mentioned Philadelphia. At the same time, PeakMetrics found 16,251 posts on election fraud, including claims of non-citizens voting, that mentioned other Pennsylvania counties and cities and not Philadelphia. 

These discussions gained momentum early, with substantial activity by 1 am ET on November 5th, as posts from the evening of November 4th had already circulated claims of voter fraud involving non-citizens voting in Philadelphia. The narrative was fueled by a video originally posted by James O’Keefe, which had amassed 3 million views and 23,000 reposts by 9 am ET on November 6th. The video was also shared by @LibsofTikTok  near midnight on November 4th. Philadelphia election fraud posts peaked between 7 am and 9 am ET on November 5th and again from 5 pm to 9 pm ET, driven by posts from former President Trump alleging “massive cheating” in Philadelphia.

Election fraud posts about other Pennsylvania cities and counties—excluding Philadelphia—saw an initial peak from 9 am to 11 am ET, driven by allegations of machine issues in deep-red counties, particularly Cambria County. Throughout Election Day, posts linked to in-person voting delays in these areas continued, with another uptick from 1 am to 2 am ET on November 6th, as Pennsylvania was called for President Trump. Philadelphia-related election fraud posts also spiked at this time, as both Pennsylvania and the national election were called for Trump.

In the two hours following Trump’s posts about “massive cheating” in Philadelphia (5 pm-7 pm), election fraud posts related to Philadelphia surged 368% higher than the two hours prior (3 pm-5 pm). Notably, this surge was specific to Philadelphia, with no corresponding increase in election fraud posts about other Pennsylvania regions.

3. Kamala Harris on SNL vs. Peanut the Squirrel—What Social Media Tells Us About Trending Narratives

Over a busy pre-election weekend, social media attention was divided in surprising ways. PeakMetrics found that while Kamala Harris’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) appearance drove major conversation, an unexpected topic—“Peanut the Squirrel” in the context of the election—rivaled it in engagement on X (formerly Twitter). This highlights how digital audiences balance mainstream and fringe narratives, amplifying discussions from both ends of the spectrum.

Who was Peanut the Squirrel? 

Peanut the Squirrel, a social media favorite known for his playful videos and bond with his caretaker, Mark Longo, was recently euthanized by New York State authorities after being seized over wildlife possession rules. The incident has since sparked political debate, with figures like Elon Musk and Senator JD Vance condemning it as "state overreach."

What the Data Shows: 

Kamala Harris’s SNL performance last Saturday evening generated significant attention. By midnight, posts mentioning Harris on SNL peaked, amassing 455,367 mentions through the weekend. Meanwhile, “Peanut the Squirrel” in the context of the election also sparked widespread discussion, gathering 925,826 posts from Saturday morning through Monday. The Harris SNL posts briefly surpassed Peanut-related posts on Sunday morning but stayed close in volume through Sunday and Monday.

Notably, both of these zeitgeist moments generated more X posts compared to the somewhat past-peak volume of posts about Trump and Biden’s garbage comments, which saw around 285,406 mentions — about 45% less than the number of Kamala SNL posts. This contrast shows how, in the world of social media, audiences often prioritize culturally resonant or unexpected narratives, even alongside major political themes.

What’s surprising is that narratives from right-wing online spaces—like the viral story of Peanut the Squirrel—can rival or even surpass mainstream moments, such as Harris on SNL, in engagement. This underscores the influence of these often-overlooked spaces, which are reshaping the public conversation in ways many miss. For brands and media professionals, it’s a reminder of the importance of monitoring diverse narratives; conversation flows dynamically across both expected and unexpected spaces, with social media fueling real-time shifts in discourse, especially in today’s post-election climate.

PeakMetrics in the News: 

• The New York Times: Featured PeakMetrics’ analysis, noting that “more than 60 percent of posts discussing election fraud on X on Tuesday focused on Pennsylvania,” based on our review of approximately 25,000 posts. These insights were also included in the New York Times Election Night Live Blog.

• WIRED: Highlighted PeakMetrics’ insights debunking the “20 million missing votes” conspiracy trending on X.

• NBC News:  Shared our Pennsylvania analysis in their live election night blog.

• NBC Philadelphia: Ran a dedicated story around election fraud mentions in Pennsylvania, featuring our insights.

• POLITICO: Exclusively covered our findings on right-leaning and left-leaning posts on X ahead of the elections in the Morning Cyber and National Security Daily newsletters. 

• WIRED: Reported on our findings related to "Peanut the Squirrel" in connection with the election.