Did recounts in 46 U.S. states 'confirm' Joe Biden lost 2020 election? No, viral claim is false

What is the claim?

Several posts circulating on social media platforms Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) falsely claim that 46 out of the 50 states in the United States of America (U.S.) have recounted and confirmed that President Joe Biden lost in their respective states. These claims, related to the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, suggest that only four states are left to 'decertify' the election results. Archived versions of these posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

Former President Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Biden, persistently attempted to decertify the election results by alleging voter fraud without substantiation and requesting recounts in multiple states. Similar claims resurfaced on social media in 2022. Archived versions of these posts from that year can be viewed here and here. 

Post claiming that 46 out of 50 states in the U.S. have recounted and confirmed that Joe Biden lost the 2020 election. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the truth?

In the 2020 election, Biden secured 302 electoral college votes, surpassing the 270 votes needed for victory, while Trump received 232 votes. The electoral college votes represent each state's contribution to the election of the President and Vice President based on their congressional representation.

Following Trump's requests, states like Georgia conducted recounts. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated in 2020, "We have now counted legally cast ballots three times, and the results remain unchanged."

According to the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project, as of March 2021, recounts occurred in Georgia and parts of Wisconsin. Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania faced lawsuits alleging voter fraud, with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson agreeing to a statewide election audit. The Trump campaign also filed ten "election contests" in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, but none of these audits resulted in changes to the election outcome, as reported.

The non-profit A-Mark Foundation reported that election recounts and audits took place in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. With the exception of Pennsylvania, all audits and recounts confirmed the initial results, showing Biden as the winner in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In Texas, originally won by Trump with a five-point margin, an audit in some counties reaffirmed the result.

In 2024, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed a subpoena from Republican lawmakers seeking a wide range of election records issued in 2021, which reportedly stemmed from Trump's fraud allegations regarding the 2020 election. A hand recount in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in January 2023 did not yield significant changes.

A report by The Washington Post published on December 14, 2020, highlighted that nine Trump-appointed judges or Supreme Court short-listers declined to support his claims of election fraud or rule in his favor. Another report by the publication added that ‘a report commissioned by the former president’s campaign and obtained by The Post did not back up his claims of fraud and did not provide evidence to overturn the 2020 election.’

There are no credible news reports confirming that any state has overturned the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

The verdict

Joe Biden decisively won the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, and no state has reversed its results. Multiple recounts and audits have consistently affirmed the original outcome.