YouTube has become the epicenter of fraudulent election audit advocacy, even though this content seems to violate the platform’s election misinformation guidelines. Fifteen right-wing YouTube channels are spreading videos that promote the Arizona audit — and sometimes advocate for more such audits in other states — in a push to justify the illegitimate process. 

By housing this extremist election misinformation (which is reliant on the debunked claim that the 2020 election was stolen, an idea that led to the January 6 Capitol insurrection), YouTube has become complicit in its rapid spread. Some of these videos also run ads, meaning both the creator and YouTube are benefiting financially.

Arizona is conducting an audit of ballots in Maricopa County in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The Arizona audit is rooted in baseless conspiracy theories about the outcome of the presidential election and has sparked interest in similar efforts in other states, including Michigan, Georgia, and New Hampshire. 

There are at least 15 active YouTube channels that are sharing videos and livestreams with “updates” on the right-wing push for election audits, sometimes relying on right-wing media sources known for spreading misinformation. This content appears to violate YouTube’s election misinformation policy, which prohibits “content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of any past U.S. presidential election.” Despite this policy, the 15 channels had accumulated over 54 million combined views as of June 10.

In April and May, these channels repeatedly posted such videos, sometimes multiple times a day, with channel figures often cross-promoting one another via guest appearances. They thus built audiences around providing misleading “news” about state audits that will supposedly install former President Donald Trump back in office in the near future. 

Beyond spreading misinformation about the ongoing Arizona audit, the people involved in this content — guests, creators, and other right-wing actors — are sharing tactics and building a unified false narrative of widespread 2020 election fraud. These efforts recently coalesced in a ticketed, in-person event on May 22 that further connected influential figures across various states. Election fraud and audit claims have even become central to multiple right-wing candidates’ campaigns, with some candidates appearing on livestreams on the topic. 

Occasionally these channels post specific calls to action, such as when right-wing users were advocating (and fundraising) for fellow conspiracy theorist Jovan Pulitzer (who also appeared on one of these YouTube channels) to run an audit in Windham, New Hampshire. 

The Arizona election audit is also serving as the blueprint for a larger election audit movement around the country, and the identified YouTube channels have served as a megaphone for election misinformation used to justify the audits. As recently as June 9, Matthew DePerno (the Michigan lawyer who filed the election fraud lawsuit in Antrim County) tweeted out one of the YouTubers’ videos. On June 11, two of these audit YouTubers were featured speakers at a New Hampshire rally “for a statewide forensic audit of the ballots.” 

The initial harm is already done, but there is still time for YouTube to stop enabling the spread of this far-right election misinformation. 

YouTube channels spreading lies about the 2020 election and pushing for election audits

Behizy (159,000 subscribers as of May 21)

Behizy has uploaded numerous videos and done livestreams covering right-wing media stories about election audits. The channel creator supposedly traveled to the tabulation center in Arizona while in town for a so-called “Election Integrity” event hosted by MyPillow CEO and Trump superfan Mike Lindell in March. The channel repeatedly featured guests in livestreams, such as Liz Harris, who are either directly involved in right-wing advocacy for a local audit or post original content that misleadingly covers election fraud and audits. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 53,000
  • Views, last 30 days: 6.3 million 
  • Average daily views: 210,400

Out Of The Darkness (111,000 subscribers as of May 21)

Out Of The Darkness has posted numerous election audit videos. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 32,600
  • Views, last 30 days: 2.8 million 
  • Average daily views: 93,600 

Jovan Hutton Pulitzer (subscriber count unavailable)

Pulitzer does not seem to post as frequently as the dedicated election audit YouTubers, but he is a recurring guest on livestreams about the topic. His videos spreading misleading information about election audits and calling for further audits regularly garner tens of thousands of views. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 262,645
  • Views, last 30 days: 262,600
  • Average daily views: 8,800

 

Doug TenNapel (60,700 subscribers as of May 21)

Although YouTube suspended Doug TenNapel’s previous channel (which had 449,000 subscribers, per Social Blade), he created his current channel in January and uses it to post about election audits. He is a frequent guest on multiple fellow audit YouTubers’ livestreams.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 32,100 
  • Views, last 30 days: 2.4 million
  • Average daily views: 79,500

Julie Green Ministries (45,600 subscribers as of May 21)

Julie Green Ministries has repeatedly posted videos and livestreams covering audits across various states.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 12,400
  • Views, last 30 days: 2.2 million
  • Average daily views: 73,500

Nick Moseder (44,100 subscribers as of May 21)

Nick Moseder has repeatedly posted uploads and livestreams covering election audits over the past few months. He has also featured fellow audit YouTubers as guests on livestreams and has also routinely mentioned elections or audits in the title or thumbnail of his videos since April. He also livestreamed as he visited an audit facility in Windham, New Hampshire, on May 22 calling for further state audits.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 11,900 
  • Views, last 30 days: 1.14 million
  • Average daily views: 38,100

Neil Johnson (24,800 subscribers as of May 21)

Neil Johnson has been regularly posting daily uploads and livestreams covering election audits over the past few months. He routinely features fellow audit YouTubers as guests and consistently gets several thousand views on his videos.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, Last 30 Days: 22,900 
  • Views, last 30 days: 1.23 million
  • Average daily views: 41,100

Cann Con (20,000 subscribers as of May 21)

Cann Con has repeatedly posted new videos and livestreams covering audits. Unlike other audit YouTubers, Cann Con has been attempting to migrate their audience to Rumble and, as a result, often removes the recorded versions of livestreams from the YouTube channel. Cann Con has also been featured as a guest on fellow audit YouTubers’ livestreams and also livestreamed former Gen. Michael Flynn speaking at an event on May 21.

• Channel Statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 11,800 
  • Views, last 30 days: 116,500
  • Average daily views: 3,900

DaveCaresForYou (13,400 subscribers as of May 21)

DaveCaresForYou has repeatedly featured conspiratorial right-wing candidates in pro-audit livestreams. The channel also has a May 14 livestream titled “Dave Jose Bust Down the Deep State and Tell you about the War on Child Tra44icking,” which spreads rhetoric and talking points tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 4,100 
  • Views, last 30 days: 130,000
  • Average daily views: 4,300

Gail Golec (6,200 subscribers as of May 21)

Gail Golec has repeatedly streamed videos about the audits, often with guests who are directly involved in audits or in creating and pushing conspiracy theories about them. Almost all of her public content on YouTube is about election audits and allegations of widespread voter fraud, and she also features anti-mask and anti-vaccination videos.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 6,200 
  • Views, last 30 days: 103,000
  • Average daily views: 3,400

Arizona Conservative News (5,700 subscribers as of May 21)

Arizona Conservative News has repeatedly posted misleading information about election audits, sometimes uploading videos multiple times a day. The videos often feature rebroadcasts of right-wing media sources.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 5,700 
  • Views, last 30 days: 170,000
  • Average daily views: 5,659

Liz Harris Realty (4,100 subscribers as of May 21)

Media Matters has previously reported on Harris’ involvement in the Arizona audit, her support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, and her affiliations with right-wing media figures like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. 

Harris posts audit videos on her Liz Harris Realty channel and uses her “Vote Liz Harris” channel for livestreams. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 934
  • Views, last 30 days: 6,600
  • Average daily views: 219

Marcus Dee (6,600 subscribers as of May 21)

Marcus Dee’s recent public content covers audits and allegations of election fraud, and it often livestreams with fellow audit YouTubers who are directly involved in creating misinformation narratives.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 6,400
  • Views, last 30 days: 114,000
  • Average daily views: 3,800

Eye Opener with Michael Lewis (210,000 subscribers as of May 21)

The YouTube channel Eye Opener with Michael Lewis has repeatedly covered election audits since April. Many of the recent videos on Lewis’ channel mention election audits and fraud, and all of these videos have over 10,000 views each.

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 1,000
  • Views, last 30 days: 889,000
  • Average daily views: 30,000

Snowflake Syndrome (2,800 subscribers as of May 21)

Snowflake Syndrome posts short videos, often reading directly from right-wing internet sources like The Gateway Pundit, repeating allegations of election fraud. The channel has several videos complaining about YouTube supposedly trying to censor the account, but it has been consistently posting election audit misinformation for months. The majority of these videos garner at least 1,000 views, and several audit-related videos have even reached tens of thousands of views. 

• Channel statistics [Social Blade, 5/21/21]:
  • New subscribers, last 30 days: 1,900
  • Views, last 30 days: 127,000
  • Average daily views: 4,200