A viral meme had stated that no votes for Romney in 59 divisions in Philadelphia is a mathematical and statistical impossibility. PolitiFact, a publication of Poynter Institute, had analyzed the claim and ruled it a "Pants on Fire."
PolitiFact based its judgment on small numbers of registered Republicans in those divisions:
The number 17 is indeed not big, not hundreds or thousands. But 59×17=1003. What is the probability that all 1003 registered Republicans in 59 divisions in question did not vote? A calculation leads to 10^(-381) figure. Or in other words to zero.
PolitiFact's "Pants on Fire" ruling was unfounded.
PolitiFact based its judgment on small numbers of registered Republicans in those divisions:
The number 17 is indeed not big, not hundreds or thousands. But 59×17=1003. What is the probability that all 1003 registered Republicans in 59 divisions in question did not vote? A calculation leads to 10^(-381) figure. Or in other words to zero.
PolitiFact's "Pants on Fire" ruling was unfounded.
