From 2016 to 2026, leaders from across the ideological spectrum in the United States and Latin America have doubled down on intentionally and consistently spreading false and misleading claims of election fraud leading up to key votes. They do this to sow distrust in a way that allows them to question results if they lose.
Misinformation is predictable because it often comprises a larger “umbrella” story that gets repeated and rarely changes, and a series of specific claims that are used to prop up that story. Unsurprisingly, the false “elections and voting” meta-narrative is that “elections are fraudulent and can’t be trusted.”
The specific claims that underpin this larger narrative usually fall into four key buckets. These include outright lies and misleading information about: 1) the electoral system, 2) the process of voting, 3) the voters themselves, and 4) the candidates. Focusing on the meta-narrative and understanding that lies get recycled makes getting ahead of these online harms easier and more sustainable.
In the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, as in 2024 and 2020 presidential elections before that, DDIA expects the following 10 claims will be used to sow distrust in the midterm elections. Keep in mind many of these claims will have grains of truth that will get decontextualized or manipulated to push an agenda. You can expect to see or might have already seen similar claims emerging in this year’s elections in Colombia,...
Foundational Context From 2016 to 2026, leaders from across the ideological spectrum in the United States and Latin America have doubled down on intentionally and consistently spreading false and ...