University of Kwazulu-Natal

Election Misinformation Brennan Center For Justice

Bonisiwe Shabane
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election misinformation brennan center for justice

Election deniers are working to undermine confidence in our elections and suppress turnout, particularly among voters of color and other historically marginalized communities. The misinformation they propagate — including lies about the voting process and election workers — can have significant consequences for people’s ability to vote and trust in our elections. These threats are especially perilous today. Since 2020, prominent politicians and candidates for election administration positions have amplified the Big Lie of a “stolen” presidential election. These falsehoods spread rapidly on social media, with platforms unwilling or unable to intervene, fueling threats to election systems. Election misinformation is a danger to American democracy.

It menaces election officials, with 64 percent reporting in 2022 that the spread of false information has made their jobs more dangerous. It interferes with voters’ ability to understand and participate in political processes. And it has been weaponized by lawmakers to justify new voter suppression legislation. Congressional action, social media platform transparency, and accessible voter education can all help address the grave threat that election misinformation poses to our democracy. The Brennan Center is tracking rumors about voting and election administration to help provide accurate information to better inform voters. Michael Waldman, president of NYU's Brennan Center for Justice, discusses how elections have become increasingly secure.

In a closely contested election, even the slightest hint of doubt about whether votes are counted accurately could incite violence and exacerbate political divisions in the U.S. ABC News' Linsey Davis sat down with Waldman to talk about the unprecedented security of U.S. elections and the threat of misinformation. ABC NEWS: Two thousand threats against election workers since the 2020 election. Officials are preparing for a wave of misinformation within the next 24 hours. Joining us now is the head of the Brennan Center for Justice, Michael Waldman.

Michael, thank you so much for joining us. First, let's just talk about the civic exercise of voting. What do you make of the 80 million Americans who've already voted early? False claims about the 2020 election have sparked a wave of restrictive voting legislation across the country, as well as confusion about proper election procedures. Misinformation has emerged to fill these gaps and erode public trust in elections. A new Brennan Center report details strategies that election officials, the media, civic groups, and individuals can use to stop the spread of misinformation and ensure voters have the knowledge they need to cast...

We compile a weekly email with local events, resources, national conferences, calls for proposals, grant, volunteer and job opportunities in the higher education and nonprofit sectors. U.S. elections face extreme pressure in 2020. The Covid-19 crisis has created new challenges for election officials and pushed them to make last-minute changes to the voting process, typically with resources that were already stretched thin. Pandemic-related voting changes have become an election issue themselves, with political actors sowing confusion for the benefit of their party. Bad actors have circulated lies to trick certain groups out of voting — and thanks to social media, these deceptive practices can instantly reach huge numbers of people.

Experts warn that foreign powers have learned from Russia’s 2016 election interference efforts and will try to covertly influence the American electorate this year. State and local election officials play a crucial role in defending U.S. elections against these threats and in protecting American voters from disenfranchisement due to disinformation. Internet companies and members of the public can also take action against deceptive practices, voter intimidation, and other forms of digital vote suppression. In all cases, accurate information from trusted official sources provides the best antidote to disinformation about voting. The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for election administration.

Many state and local officials have had to completely change their plans in order to address new obstacles like stay-at-home orders, exponentially higher demand for absentee ballots, and the potential shortage of poll workers,... Elections that have already taken place in 2020 have seen massive changes, including drastic increases in voting by mail or absentee ballot. Due to the pandemic, some officials have made significant last-minute changes to the voting process. In some cases, rules have changed back and forth even in the final hours before Election Day, such as when courts have intervened to block changes. 1 This dynamic, even chaotic, environment has enormous potential to create confusion among voters.

Key voting information — including election dates, polling locations, and mail-in voting rules — are suddenly subject to change. Voters may not learn about such changes in time to comply, or they may receive conflicting information and not know which sources to believe. These factors leave voters more vulnerable to bad actors who use deceptive practices to spread false information in an attempt to trick people out of voting. In the United States, there is a long history of using such practices to keep certain voters away from the polls. And in recent years, the internet and social media platforms have increased the threat of vote suppression. For example, a deceptive tweet can reach millions of readers in a matter of minutes.

2 Because of stay-at-home orders and quarantines due to Covid-19, voters are all the more dependent on online information. And even before the pandemic, national security experts warned repeatedly that foreign powers plan to attack American elections. 3 Derek Tisler of the Brennan Center for Justice discusses how minor glitches can be amplified into conspiracy theories and spread quickly. He encourages voters to learn more, participate more, and share their concerns with election officials. It’s Election Day and even though the campaign may be over, the battle over misinformation is not.

Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Derek Tisler, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, about some of the misleading online narratives voters should expect to see and how to deal with them. This conversation is part of “Marketplace Tech’s” limited series “Decoding Democracy.” Watch the full episode here or on our YouTube channel. “Election Rumors in 2024” from the Brennan Center for Justice NYU’s Michael Waldman says the 2024 election will go "overwhelmingly smoothly." Michael Waldman, president of NYU's Brennan Center for Justice, discusses how elections have become increasingly secure. In a closely contested election, even the slightest hint of doubt about whether votes are counted accurately could incite violence and exacerbate political divisions in the U.S.

ABC News' Linsey Davis sat down with Waldman to talk about the unprecedented security of U.S. elections and the threat of misinformation. ABC NEWS: Two thousand threats against election workers since the 2020 election. Officials are preparing for a wave of misinformation within the next 24 hours. Joining us now is the head of the Brennan Center for Justice, Michael Waldman. Your use of JSTOR indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use and the Privacy Policy.

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