By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-16 18:36:20 | Updated at 2026-06-16 23:21:34
4 hours ago
A viral post claiming that hundreds of ballots from voters supporting Spencer Pratt’s mayoral run turned up in the trash in a mysterious corner of Los Angeles has one major problem — the area doesn’t exist.
The fake conspiracy was floated on Saturday with a parody account on X claiming: “BREAKING: 675 ballots for Spencer Pratt found in a dumpster in San Recto. Federal authorities are on scene. Let the games begin.”
The post quickly took off online — with many viewers quick to question the location.
“Can you tell me exactly where San Recto exists? Cuz it’s not on this planet,” one wrote in response.
“Where is San Recto? I know just about every place in LA and that’s not anything familiar,” another replied.
BREAKING: 675 ballots for Spencer Pratt found in a dumpster in San Recto. Federal authorities are on scene.Let the games begin
H/T Christian Cole
A fact check claim was later added to the X post , clarifying that “No city named San Recto exists in California, making the claim of ballots found there impossible.”
Others had fun with the parody post, keying in on the fictional city’s spelling.
“I think you mean San Rectum because you made this up out of your a—,” one viewer commented.
The original post was also shared on Reddit, where many readers ridiculed those who may have taken the bait.
“Dying to know how many people actually fell for this,” one wrote.
Pratt, the former reality TV star, failed to secure enough votes to advance to a runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, despite having a strong showing on Election Day.
A week after voters went to the polls, Councilwoman Nithya Raman surged ahead of Pratt in the primary, setting up a November showdown with Bass while knocking the former “The Hills” star out of the race.
