SYDNEY — The cartoon appeared online early one Friday morning. Created by a far-right Australian party in the style of “South Park,” it lit up social media with its crude jokes and bogus claims about stolen elections.
Tagged in the torrent of tweets was the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). Within minutes, the federal agency responded, calling the video “false” and “disappointing.” The agency’s actions quickly led Twitter to label the cartoon as “misleading,” and Facebook and TikTok took it down completely.
The incident last month reflects the rising tide of misinformation Australia faces as it prepares to go to the polls on Saturday. But it also shows the benefit of a single agency overseeing a country’s electoral process.
“We’re really standing on the front lines of protecting Australia’s democracy,” said Evan Ekin-Smyth, the AEC’s head of digital engagement. “If we’re not in the conversations, arguing for elections, defending people’s perceptions of democracy, well, who is?”
In the United States, elections are overseen by a patchwork of partisan state and local officials. Add in the Electoral College and the system can sometimes seem chaotic or even susceptible to undue influence, as Americans learned in 2020.
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