The Threat Of Misinformation To Democratic Trust In Voting

Erosion of Public Trust in American Elections Fuels Democratic Backsliding The bedrock of American democracy, the public’s faith in free and fair elections, is demonstrably crumbling. Surveys reveal a pervasive dissatisfaction with the state of democracy, with a majority of Americans expressing concern about the proliferation of misinformation. This decline in trust isn’t merely a matter of public opinion; it poses a significant threat to the stability of democratic institutions, both in the United States and globally. The increasing prevalence of misinformation and disinformation campaigns, amplified by technological advancements, sows doubt about electoral processes, undermining the very foundation of representative government. From unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud to distorted narratives surrounding critical issues like abortion and immigration, the corrosive impact of misinformation is evident across the political spectrum.

Even government responses to natural disasters, like Hurricane Helene, become targets of misinformation, further eroding public confidence. This trend threatens to destabilize democratic processes and disenfranchise voters, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. The Rise of Generative AI: A New Frontier in Misinformation While misinformation and disinformation have long been present in American politics, the advent of generative AI has drastically altered the landscape. The speed and scale at which false information can now spread pose an unprecedented challenge. AI-powered tools enable the creation and dissemination of highly convincing fabricated content, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

This rapid spread of misinformation online can manipulate public perception and influence election outcomes, especially in closely contested races. The erosion of the traditional adage "I’ll believe it when I see it" underscores the profound impact of AI on information integrity. Now, a default position of skepticism is crucial in navigating the digital landscape, where fabricated content can seamlessly blend with reality. Shrinking Newsrooms and Social Media’s Ascendancy: A Perfect Storm for Misinformation “We’re seeing higher levels of distrust in our elections, how they’re run and the validity of their outcomes,” USC Price’s Mindy Romero says. (Photo/iStock)

With misinformation on the rise and American voters increasingly losing faith in elections, USC experts explore strategies to restore confidence in democracy. Public trust in our free and fair elections — a fundamental pillar of American democracy — is eroding. We don’t need polls to tell us Americans are losing faith in democracy, though the numbers back it up: Recent survey data shows that almost 60% of Americans are dissatisfied with the current state... The flow of misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns are generating alarming levels of doubt among voters, USC experts say. From narratives around contentious issues like abortion and immigration to unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, the damaging effects of misinformation on democracy are increasingly evident. Even misinformation surrounding federal responses to crises such as Hurricane Helene show how public perception can be swayed and the consequences that can follow.

Ullrich Ecker is a professor at the School of Psychological Science and a fellow at the Public Policy Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. Jon Roozenbeek is assistant professor in psychology and security at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, UK. Sander van der Linden is a professor of social psychology in society at the University of Cambridge, UK. Li Qian Tay is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. John Cook is a senior research fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Raquel Muñiz , Andrés Castro Samayoa, Shane Dunn

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. Elections are the cornerstone of democratic societies, where citizens exercise their right to choose their leaders.

However, the rise of misinformation and disinformation poses a significant threat to the integrity of this democratic process.\ Misinformation refers to the spread of false or misleading information without intent to deceive, while disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false information to manipulate public opinion. These tactics can severely undermine voter confidence, distort public perception, and ultimately impact election outcomes. The digital era, particularly the widespread use of social media platforms, has amplified the effects of misinformation and disinformation on elections. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become breeding grounds for false narratives due to their vast reach, rapid information dissemination, and minimal regulation. For instance, during the 2016 U.S.

presidential election, Russian operatives used social media to spread divisive and misleading content, targeting American voters. According to reports by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, these efforts included the use of fake accounts and ads to polarize opinions, often centered on contentious issues like immigration, race, and gun control. In the 2020 U.S. election, misinformation around mail-in voting and the legitimacy of the electoral process surged. Unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud circulated on social media, casting doubt on the results even before votes were fully counted.

Targeted, local engagement with communities coupled with civic education are effective strategies to strengthen information ecosystems, alongside national and international efforts focused on laws and regulation. By Gabriel Marmentini & Jeanine Abrams McLean Sep. 16, 2024 Over the last decade, democracies around the world have seen the steady decay of civic trust, the rise of hyperpolarization, the growth of cooperation among authoritarian powers, and a host of ever-evolving threats to... Misinformation (misleading information) and disinformation (deliberately false information) impede the informed decision-making of voters, but also undermine and erode trust in the media, government, and electoral processes. As countries navigate these challenges, grassroots strategies in combating the spread and influence of harmful and inaccurate information have proven to be a vital and effective complement to policy strategies and interventions.

Effective grassroots organizations are trusted voices that are uniquely positioned to identify misinformation that impacts the communities they serve, to implement strategies to combat misinformation, and to build communities that are resilient to future... These strategies include: (1) using education (civic, democratic, and media) to strengthen information ecosystems; (2) developing long-term civil society coalitions for fact-checking and community building; and (3) conducting localized community engagement activities and amplify... By leveraging direct connections with communities, grassroots efforts complement and enhance the impact and efficacy of policy-based tactics designed to strengthen information ecosystems, during and between election cycles. Corresponding author: Camila Mont’Alverne, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Lord Hope Building, 141 St James Road, Glasgow G4 0LT, UK; email: camila.montalverne@strath.ac.uk. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits noncommercial reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial reuse, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com

Electoral misinformation, where citizens believe false or misleading claims about the electoral process and electoral institutions—sometimes actively and strategically spread by political actors—is a challenge to public confidence in elections specifically and democracy more... In this article, we analyze a combination of 42 million clicks in links and apps from behavioral tracking data of 2,200 internet users and a four-wave panel survey to investigate how different kinds of... We find that, controlling for other factors, using news from legacy news media is associated with belief in fewer claims of electoral misinformation over time. We find null or inconsistent effects for using digital-born news media and various digital platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp. Furthermore, we find that trust in news plays a significant role as a moderator. Belief in electoral misinformation, in turn, undermines trust in news.

Overall, our findings document the important role of the news media as an institution in curbing electoral misinformation, even as they also underline the precarity of trust in news during contentious political periods. Electoral misinformation, where citizens believe false or misleading claims about the electoral process and institutions—sometimes actively and strategically spread by political actors—is a challenge to public trust in elections specifically and democracy more broadly... What role do different kinds of news consumption, digital platform use, and trust in news play in hindering or helping the spread of such electoral misinformation? These are the questions we address in this article. The context is one in which the rapid growth of digital media, especially widely used platforms like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and their competitors, and numerous documented cases of misinformation on many of them, has... As Nelson and Taneja (2018) have argued, “Social network sites play an outsized role in generating traffic to fake news.” But others have suggested that those concerned about misinformation spread, and people’s belief in...

As Tsfati et al. (2020) write, “Mainstream news media [play] a significant and important role in the dissemination of fake news” (see also Allen et al. 2020). While several empirical studies have cautioned that identified sources of false information are a small, even very small, part of most people’s media use (Watts, Rothschild, and Mobius 2021; Altay, Nielsen, and Fletcher 2022),... 🌍 Advisory: AI was used to assist in creating this content. Please double-check important details.

The impact of misinformation on elections represents a critical challenge to the integrity of democratic processes. As voters increasingly rely on diverse information sources, the propagation of false narratives can undermine public trust and skew electoral outcomes. This article examines the intricate relationship between misinformation and elections, highlighting significant implications for electoral law and governance. By exploring various dimensions, it seeks to illuminate the mechanisms through which misinformation distorts public perception and influences voter behavior. Elections serve as a cornerstone of democratic governance, facilitating citizens’ expression of political will. The landscape of elections is shaped by various social, economic, and technological factors that influence voter engagement and decision-making.

A well-functioning electoral system requires reliable access to accurate information, as voters rely on this knowledge to make informed choices. The nature of this information, its sources, and its dissemination plays a significant role in determining electoral outcomes and public trust in the political process.

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