NPR (AUDIO): Robocalls, Rumors And Emails: Last-Minute Election Disinformation Floods Voters

Dirty tricks and disinformation have been used to intimidate and mislead voters for as long as there have been elections. But they have been especially pervasive this year as millions of Americans cast ballots in a chaotic and contentious election.

This has led to stepped-up efforts by election officials and voter advocates to counter the disinformation so voters are not discouraged from turning out.

“2020 has been a year like no other because not only have we seen a higher volume of online mis- and disinformation, we have also changed a lot of processes about our society, including the way we administer elections,” said Jesse Littlewood, who leads the Stopping Cyber Suppression program for Common Cause. His nonpartisan group has already identified close to 5,000 incidents this year.

Voting shift drives disinformation

Littlewood noted that the shift to more mail-in voting because of the pandemic has opened the way for a whole new wave of disinformation.