Election Interference and Partisan Politics

Election interference is a global phenomenon, and it has only intensified as the internet makes it easier to spread disinformation and information campaigns. The problem has also become more complex and sophisticated as generative AI enables attackers to manipulate online conversations in ways that are harder to detect (Sydell, 2024). Whether from domestic or foreign sources, deceptive speech is becoming increasingly common.

While successful electoral fraud is rare, it can undermine confidence in democracy by swaying elections and generating political division. In addition, allegations of fraud can lead to criminal investigations and prosecutions that further disenfranchise voters and destabilize democratic institutions.

In the United States, raging partisanship has led to an unprecedented campaign to undermine the integrity of elections. From racially motivated claims of voter fraud to efforts to limit voting rights, these attacks are harming America’s democratic system and its future.

While the president and the DOJ have a role to play in addressing these threats, they cannot set the rules for elections. Instead, Congress and state governments must make these decisions and oversee local officials who conduct the elections. The threat of politically motivated civil or criminal investigations and prosecutions should not be used to target these officials or the nonprofits that help them protect our election process.

The mere threat of such suits can exacerbate the exodus of experienced local election officials from their jobs, which will have a direct impact on the ability to protect American voters. For example, if an election official fears that a federal suit will be filed against them, they may succumb to pressure to aggressively purge voters from the rolls or apply a fringe legal interpretation of a state law.