Misleading Social Media Post Falsely Suggests Election Activity in Tigray Region

June 1, 2026

Following the election held on June 1, 2026, several unverified and misleading claims have been circulating across social media platforms, raising concerns about misinformation and public confusion.

One notable example involves a Facebook page named Henok Ab (የ አ ዳ ም ዘ ር), which has over 71,000 followers. The page shared an image of a polling station accompanied by the caption: “Is an election being held in the Tigray region, Comrade?” Within just one hour, the post gained significant traction, accumulating more than 400 likes, 173 comments, and 4 shares.

A screenshot of the Facebook post shared on June 1, 2026.

Fact-Check Investigation

The CARD Fact-Check Team conducted a detailed analysis of the post and identified a pattern of misleading content from the page. Through reverse image tracing and contextual verification, the team discovered that the image used in the post does not originate from the Tigray region.

Instead, the original image was published on May 31, 2026, by the North Shewa Zone Communication Bureau in the Amhara region. It was part of a local news update highlighting preparations for polling stations in Efiratana Gidim Wereda, located within the North Shewa Zone.

A screenshot of the original image published on May 31, 2026, by the Amhara North Shewa Zone Communication Bureau.

Source of Confusion

The misleading claim appears to exploit the visual similarity between the flags of the Tigray and Amhara regional states. This resemblance may have been intentionally used to create confusion and mislead viewers into believing that the image depicted election activities in Tigray.

Verdict: MISLEADING

The image does not show an election taking place in the Tigray region. It actually depicts the preparation of polling stations in the North Shewa Zone of the Amhara region in May 2026. The claim falsely associates the image with a different region, thereby misinforming the public.

The CARD Fact-Check Team rates this claim as Misleading.

Conclusion

This case highlights the growing challenge of misinformation during sensitive political events such as elections. The public is encouraged to verify information through credible sources before sharing and to remain cautious of content that may be presented out of context.