LANSING – An inaccurate claim, apparently started by a Chicago-area conservative author and picked up by a number of Michigan residents on social media, asserted that 60 percent of Michigan counties report more registered voters than residents, a charge easily refuted by looking at voter data and state population data.

The claim was initially made by Charlie Kirk, who heads a conservative group called The Turning Point and bills himself as a best-selling author, and who focuses in his Twitter feed on immigration and alleged voter fraud. His claim also dovetailed with the disputed election claims in Florida.

Two days after the November 6 election, Kirk said on Twitter, “Over 60 percent of Michigan counties had more registered voters than citizens.”

He makes similar claims about all the states and U.S. counties.