False and misleading narratives about how elections work and who won can deter voting and spark violence. But professional websites, misinformation hunting teams and public education campaigns help election departments spread truth and dispel falsehoods.
Today’s election officials know too well how mis- and disinformation about elections can cascade into political turmoil, insider threats, voter suppression and even physical violence. False narratives spurred the Jan. 6 insurrection, have targeted certain communities to dissuade voting and allegedly inspired a county clerk in Arizona to orchestrate a voting equipment security breach.
Officials are working hard to keep false claims from muddying residents’ understanding of elections and voting processes or their faith in the outcomes. The threat has evolved since 2016 thrust it into the public spotlight, and many officials and civic organizations recommend a multipronged approach. Elections teams must both seek out and counter inaccurate content, as well as proactively push out reliable information that voters can easily find and foster trust by making election experiences as smooth as possible.
MISINFORMATION AND 2022
2016 saw foreign actors play strong roles in creating confusion around elections, but in ensuing years, domestic players have become more significant sources, said Trevor Timmons, executive committee chair of the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and CIO for Colorado’s...
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