Election interference has become a popular topic of discussion, with sizable majorities in many states worried about vote tampering or other forms of subverting democracy. Yet these discussions too often lack important details that construct a more complete picture of the threat.
When used broadly, the term “election interference” can include almost any effort to influence people’s opinions about politics, including deception, intimidation or misinformation. As such, it threatens the very processes, debates and messy arguments that are a hallmark of democracy. In the digital era, the threats are also more complex and cover much greater distances. For example, the trolls and bots of authoritarian regimes can surreptitiously manipulate online discussions while hiding behind plausible deniability. And in the past few years, Freedom House has documented a growing number of efforts to abuse technology to subvert democracy, with a particular focus on trolls and AI-driven disinformation.
Despite the dangers of interference, there is still little evidence that it will be particularly damaging this year. For instance, scholars have found that while Russian actors contributed to the flood of misinformation in the 2016 presidential campaign, their contribution was relatively minor.
However, even small amounts of manipulation could cause lasting harm. As a result, the Brennan Center is tracking legislation that would enable partisan interference in elections or threaten the people and process that make election administration work. For example, it is against the law in California to post signs near a polling place or secure ballot receptacle to intimidate voters or drive support for or against a candidate and to challenge a voter’s eligibility without a reasonable, good faith basis.