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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on November 9, 2016 in articles on the Internet and social media posts: Harambe received 15,000 votes in the presidential election. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * Elections * Fake news * PunditFact * Bloggers ![\\"Allison](\\" By Allison Graves November 22, 2016 # No, 15,000 people did not vote for Harambe in 2016 We all know Harambe as the late gorilla who became an Internet sensation, but is it possible one of America’s favorite memes also received 15,000 votes in this year’s presidential election? Shortly following Donald Trump’s win, stories about Harambe winning thousands of votes appeared on social media, fueling funny remarks that the gorrilla spoiled the election. For those of you who don’t know — Harambe, a silverback gorilla, was controversially killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in May after a young boy climbed into his enclosure. Harambe’s death sparked thousands of social media posts or memes memorializing his death. \"The Legend Of Harambe Continues As The Dead Gorilla Received Over 15,000 Votes For President,\" reads a Nov. 9 headline from Coed, an online entertainment magazine. A post from 9GAG got over 79,000 reactions on Facebook. And of course there were the social media posts: > People are quick to blame Gary Johnson for what\'s going on right now but > think about this: Harambe has over 10k votes.This is your America > > — DrLegend (@TheDrLegend) November 9, 2016 > Harambe had 11,000 votes.11,000 people voted for a dead gorilla.Let that > sink in. > > — Men\'s Humor (@MensHumor) November 9, 2016 > You start wondering how this could happen...then you see 11,000 write-in > votes for Harambe and it all makes sense > > — Graham Hall (@GrahamHall_) November 9, 2016 While it’s possible a handful of people voted for Harambe (see here), the stories that Harambe received thousands of votes — which ranges between 11,000 and 15,000 depending on the story — are not based on fact. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 3, 2024 in an Instagram post “Kamala Harris said she will shut down X if elected.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 5, 2024 Why? Write-in votes for Harambe would be treated like provisional or absentee ballots, meaning they wouldn’t be counted until after all the other votes, which takes weeks. We’re still counting votes in California, for instance. Seeing as these Harambe stories popped up immediately after the election, there’s no way they were based on real data. Plus, every state decides on their own requirements for write-in candidates, so not all votes for Harambe would count depending on the state. More than 30 states require a write-in candidate to file paperwork in order to be an official candidate and at least eight states don’t even allow write-in candidates. The remaining states have no-filing requirements. How many of these write-in votes actually get counted? Well, in 2012, 136,040 write-in votes were counted, which is .11-percent of the total votes, according to The Washington Post. Our ruling The day after the presidential election, bloggers took to social media to share stories claiming Harambe received thousands of votes in this year’s presidential election. The claims are a hoax. Most of those stories were written the day after the election, and any write- in votes for Harambe wouldn’t have been counted. Moreover, more than half of states require write-in candidates file paperwork in advance of the election, while another nine don’t even permit write-in candidates. We rate this claim Pants on Fire! #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources The Washington Post, \"Planning to write in Paul Ryan or Bernie Sanders? It won’t count in most states.\" Nov. 3, 2016 TheStar, \"California’s uncounted ballots outnumber total votes of 34 states,\" Nov. 21. Coed, \"The Legend Of Harambe Continues As The Dead Gorilla Received Over 15,000 Votes For President,\" Nov. 9 DailySnark,\"Harambe, A Dead Gorilla, Got Over 15,000 Votes For President Of The Unites States,\" Nov. 9 Vox, \"The Harambe meme is still going strong. And it\'s about a lot more than a dead gorilla.\" Sept. 13 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Allison Graves slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on May 15, 2018 in a post on Facebook: \"Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier: Donald Trump might become \'The Greatest Of All Time.\' \" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" The Collective super PAC stated on May 11, 2018 in an ad: Says Gwen Graham \"voted against President Obama 52 percent of the time.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on May 14, 2018 in a post on the Internet: Says Julia Roberts told Celine Dion, \"If you hate Trump you can go in your country.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 15, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Democratic Governors Association stated on July 13, 2018 in a post on Medium: Says Adam Putnam \"backed a water bill that gutted water quality regulations.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • July 18, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Rick Scott stated on June 13, 2018 in an ad: Says Sen. Bill Nelson \"voted for higher taxes\" 349 times. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Allison Graves • July 5, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on June 28, 2018 in a Fox News debate: Says Adam Putnam \"endorsed the Schumer-Obama Gang of Eight immigration amnesty.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bill Nelson stated on June 21, 2018 in an ad: Says he \"actually wrote the bipartisan law that makes it illegal to drill off Florida’s coast.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Adam Putnam stated on June 7, 2018 in an interview with Fox News: Florida taxpayers \"pay tens of millions of dollars a year to feed and house in our prison system criminal illegal aliens.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 26, 2018 ![](\\" mugs-Anonymous_people_/398fc0baac700f9aa5dd88786f3cd62e.jpg\\") ![](\\" mugs-Anonymous_people_/d0c13da11ad4bc5f48f6b798046f5ef9.jpg\\") New Republican PAC stated on June 11, 2018 in a political ad: Says Bill Nelson voted for \"cuts to Medicare providers\" and voted to weaken \"Social Security protections\" as a U.S. senator. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 15, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Gillum stated on June 20, 2018 in a debate: Under Philip Levine, Miami Beach \"passed a resolution to ban assault rifles, which was not enforceable and never enforced. He passed a resolution to raise the minimum wage, which actually no one got the benefit of because it was not enforced.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 9, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Florida Democratic Party stated on June 6, 2018 in in a press release: \"Flip Flop! After opposing term limits for decades, Adam Putnam adopts Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis’ position.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 8, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on June 2, 2018 in during a BBQ : \"The bulk of the problem with the opioid epidemic is the fentanyl and all the synthetic drugs coming across the southern border.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 7, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Florida House Majority Office stated on May 17, 2018 in a video: It is a \"myth\" that \"per-student funding only rose by 47 cents this year.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 30, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Senate Majority PAC stated on May 21, 2018 in in an ad: Says Bill Nelson is \"one of America’s most independent senators.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on May 14, 2018 in a post on Facebook: \"BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump On His Way To Donate Kidney To Melania Trump.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on May 15, 2018 in a post on Facebook: \"Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier: Donald Trump might become \'The Greatest Of All Time.\' \" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" The Collective super PAC stated on May 11, 2018 in an ad: Says Gwen Graham \"voted against President Obama 52 percent of the time.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on May 14, 2018 in a post on the Internet: Says Julia Roberts told Celine Dion, \"If you hate Trump you can go in your country.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • May 15, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Democratic Governors Association stated on July 13, 2018 in a post on Medium: Says Adam Putnam \"backed a water bill that gutted water quality regulations.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • July 18, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Rick Scott stated on June 13, 2018 in an ad: Says Sen. Bill Nelson \"voted for higher taxes\" 349 times. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Allison Graves • July 5, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on June 28, 2018 in a Fox News debate: Says Adam Putnam \"endorsed the Schumer-Obama Gang of Eight immigration amnesty.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Allison Graves • June 29, 2018 ### No, 15,000 people did not vote for Harambe in 2016 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Elissa Slotkin stated on September 30, 2024 in a Meta ad: U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “believes he should make that decision” about whether to end pregnancies. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 27, 2024 in an ad: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “voted to give taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 26, 2024 in an Instagram post: “Kamala involved in P-Diddy’s rapes and assaults.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on September 10, 2024 in the ABC News presidential debate: “Donald Trump said he was going to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. He never did. We did.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Jacob Gardenswartz • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 28, 2024 in an X post: Video shows “the bunker-busting bombs that ended the lives of (Hassan) Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s leadership.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 29, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 27, 2024 in a video: Shows video of damage from Hurricane Helene. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 28, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on September 22, 2024 in una publicación enTikTok: En el sur de Filadelfia, la campaña de Kamala Harris “está pagando a la gente $700 por semana para viajar y asistir a todos sus eventos”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • September 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 25, 2024 in an Instagram post: Hurricane Helene was the product of intentional weather modification. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 25, 2024 in a post: Video shows footage of Hurricane Helene ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Vote No on 3 stated on September 7, 2024 in a TV ad: Florida’s Amendment 3 is “the monopoly amendment.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 27, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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No 15000 people did not vote for Harambe in 2016